Constitution américaine de 1787

Hello everyone !

        Today I will talk about  the oldest written constitution still in use, the United States Constitution of 1787 (seventeen eighty seven). To do this, it would be relevant to discuss the historical context that led to its adoption. And then, I will explain the content of the Constitution, with its benefits and its weaknesses.

Historical Context :

        Firstly, in 1776 (seventeen seventy six), the Declaration of Independence was ratified, and the 13 (thirteen) American colonies proclaimed themselves as independent States, forming the « United States of America. ». Each state adopted its own written Constitution.

        The new Nation required stronger central institutions to function effectively and that’s why, to unify the states under a national framework, the Articles of Confederation were ratified in 1781 (seventeen eighty one).

        However, these Articles failed because the States led more power than Congress and often ignored its decisions.

        Because the central government was weak, the Founding Fathers called for  a change with a new Constitution. This movement led to the Philadelphia Convention, where James Madison, nicknamed the « Father of the Constitution » presented the Virginia Plan.

        Finally, on September 17 (seventeenth) 1787 (seventeen eighty seven) the U.S Constitution was adopted. And later, it has been amended several times, for example with the Bill of Rights in 1791.

The Content of the Constitution :

        By the way, the Constitution, composed of a Preamble and 7 (seven) articles was inspired by the Virginia plan. Indeed it introduced the separation of powers thanks to a government with 3 (three) branches :

        — The Legislative branch with the Congress to make laws

        — The Executive branch with the President to enforce laws

        — And the Judicial branch with the Supreme Court to interpret laws.

This system of « checks and balances » means that each branch of government can limit the power of the others, ensuring that no branch becomes too powerful.

        Besides, one of the biggest innovations was the creation of a bicameral legislature with :

        — The House Of Representatives, where the number of members depends on the population of each State. So, big states have more representatives.

        — And the Senate, where every State has two senators. So small and big states are equals.

A result of compromises :

        However, even if the new Constitution was a success, some clauses in the final document were the result of compromises. Indeed, at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, there was a big conflict between large and small states.

        — Large states supported the Virginia Plan, which wanted representation in Congress based on population. This gave them more power.

        — While small states supported the New Jersey Plan, which wanted equal representation for all states.

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