2.1 Constitution-Learning Objectives and Chapter Summary

The Constitution

Learning Objectives

1  Trace the historical developments that led to the colonists’ break with Great Britain and the emergence of the new American nation 


2  Identify the key components of the Articles of Confederation and the reasons why it failed 


3  Outline the issues and compromises that were central to the writing of the U.S. 
Constitution 


4  Analyze the underlying principles of the U.S. Constitution 


5  Explain the conflicts that characterized the drive for ratification of the U.S. Constitution 


6  Distinguish between the methods for proposing and ratifying amendments to the U.S. 
Constitution 


 

Chapter Summary

The Constitution was designed to last—it is the oldest operational constitution in the world. Thousands of amendments have been proposed but only 27 have passed the rigorous process to become part of the Constitution. Ten of those were passed very early on as a promise to opponents of the Constitution made in order to get their votes to approve the document. Those ten are known as the Bill of Rights. The most recent amendment was passed in the early 1990s.

The process is long and difficult. For example, the amendment to extend voting rights to virtually all people over the age of 18 was first proposed in 1942 but only attained passage in 1971. This amendment made citizenship broader and more comprehensive than ever before. In fact, much of the expansion of the electorate was achieved through constitutional amendment, including voting rights for women and minorities.

Why has the Constitution been amended so rarely and worked so well? Perhaps it has been so successful because people are basically satisfied with our system of government or because it was the result of compromise and therefore vague and flexible? Well, in order find out the answers, we need to look at a little history and the document itself.