Why You Should Study the U.S. Constitution

 

Hello, readers! At this time in November, we have just elected what I believe will have been the most problematic administrations of our nation’s history.

Of course, I’m not particularly happy with the outcome of the elections. I did a little bit of campaigning for Kamala Harris and some of the Democratic candidates in a few of the “blue wall” states. While I was doing this I spoke with a number of people about the issues of the day. I found to my horror that many of the people in this nation held a lot of strange beliefs that could only be attributed to a lack of good information as to how things work in this country.

To address this, I have decided to change the tone and content of my output, starting here, I will begin concentrating my efforts on reviewing basic constitutional principles.

The U.S. Constitution is more than an old document tucked away in the National Archives. It is the bedrock of our democracy, shaping the government’s structure and guaranteeing the rights of its citizens. For young people, especially in a world grappling with political unrest and misinformation, studying the Constitution offers more than just historical insights—it provides tools to safeguard democracy, advance careers, and combat bad actors who seek to exploit systems for personal gain.

Here is the Preamble:

We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Understanding Power to Prevent Abuse

In case you’re wondering, the kind people at Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5/pg5-images.html).opted not to modernize the original language that the country’s framers wrote it in. The country had only been free of English rule for a very short period of time before the founders of the newly minted nation met to iron out the particulars of the new Republic they were forming. The “King’s English” was the order of the day.

That notwithstanding the intent of the writers is very clear.

Article 1

Section 1.  All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

Section 2.  The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislature.

No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.

The Constitution outlines checks and balances designed to prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful. However, these safeguards only work when citizens understand and defend them. Unscrupulous individuals and organizations often rely on public ignorance to push agendas that erode rights and undermine democracy.

The first order of business listed by the Constitutional Congress was to define who would hold the reins of power in the country. Article I defines the Congress first. The vote of the people would elect each Senator and member of the House of Representatives.  

By studying the Constitution, you can identify attempts to circumvent its principles and hold those in power accountable. Knowledge empowers individuals to challenge unethical actions without fear of reprisal from those who assume their manipulations will go unnoticed. A well-informed citizenry is a shield against corruption and an essential element of a thriving democracy.

That’s about it for now. This article is only an introduction to the material. Trust me, the Constitution is a large, imposing document, even without the Bill of Rights, only a portion of the amendments the document contains.

A couple of things I want to clear up first. First of all, I am not what you call an expert on the law, so don’t come running after me looking for legal advice!

There are, however, a few good Constitutional scholars. Representative Jamie Raskin, for instance, heads up an event called Democracy Summer that educates ordinary people – like you, I’m sure - about basic civics and Constitutional Democracy. Get the details about it on his page: https://jamieraskin.com/democracy-summer/

If you like what I have been posting here, and want to lend a hand you can send a small donation to one of these cryptocurrency addresses:







In the next segment, we’ll discuss the structure of our governance.



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