18. Reading: The Constitution of the USA

 

  

The American Constitution is based on the doctrine of the separation of powers between the executive, legislative, and judiciary.

The respective government institutions - the Presidency, Congress, and the Courts - were given limited and specific powers; and a series of checks, whereby each branch of government has certain authority over the others to make sure these powers were not abused.

Government power was limited by means of a dual system of government, in which the federal government was only given the powers and responsibilities to deal with problems facing the nation as a whole (foreign affairs, trade, control of the army and navy, etc).

The remaining responsibilities and duties of government were reserved to the individual state governments.
Article V allowed for amendments to be made to the Constitution (once passed by a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress and then ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states).

The Constitution ratified by all thirteen states in 1791 already contained ten amendments, collectively known as the Bill of Rights (the freedoms of religion, speech, and the press, etc), to protect the citizens against possible tyranny by the federal government. So far only twenty-six amendments have been made to the Constitution.

 

  

1. The respective government institutions are the Presidency, Congress, and the Courts.

 

   

 

2. Article V did not allow for amendments to be made to the Constitution

 

  

 

3. The Constitution ratified by all thirteen states in 1791 already contained ten amendments, collectively known as the Bill of Rights.