United States Constitution
For the full text of the U.S. Constitution, see Full Text of the United States Constitution.
The United States Constitution is the supreme legal text that formed the framework of the current United States government. It superseded the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution was developed at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787 and proposed to the states on September 17, 1787.[1] It became law when nine out of thirteen states ratified it. It took effect on March 4, 1789. It is the oldest constitution of its type still in effect.
Constitutional Principles
The Constitution established several principles for the American government, among these are limited government with a separation of powers, a system of checks and balances, and a list of powers denied to the government. It also established a republican form of government, with the consent of the governed.