CONCEPTS OF THE PREAMBLE TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION

THE PREAMBLE

• “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves an our posterity do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

“WE THE PEOPLE…”

• The power to govern comes from the consent of the governed.

• The citizens of a republic (we are not a “standard democracy”) grant the power to the government

• Since the citizens give the power, the citizens can remove the power.

“…IN ORDER TO FORM A MORE PERFECT UNION…”

• This was the second attempt at a Union for the colonies– Articles of Confederation after Revolutionary War

• Many problems came after the Revolutionary War• The colonies needed to find a better balance

between colonial autonomy and national unity…where could they share responsibility and work for the greater good?– Social Contract (Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau)

“…ESTABLISH JUSTICE…”

• What is the difference between “justice”, “fairness”, and “equality”?

• When you have people of differing socioeconomic statuses, household situations, and lives in general, how can you make sure every person is afforded the same rights and opportunities?

• What are the guarantees you have as a citizen of the United States?

“…ENSURE DOMESTIC TRANQUILITY…”

• Domestic = “at home, local”• Tranquility = “peace, calm”• What aspects of local peacefulness need to be

addressed?– Civic, business, social…what else?

• How does the government keep peace in our society?

“…PROVIDE FOR THE COMMON DEFENSE…”

• When we talk about “common” defense, who are we discussing?

• What levels of “defense” need to be addressed?

• Because of this, how much funding/resource deployment should be given to “common” defense? What should take priority over this, if anything?

“…PROMOTE THE GENERAL WELFARE…”

• What does the words “promote” & “general” imply?

• How does the government work to accomplish this?

• Should the welfare of citizens be the number one concern for the government, or should there be other considerations? To what expense?

“…SECURE THE BLESSINGS OF LIBERTY TO OURSELVES AND OUR POSTERITY…”

• What do we mean by the “blessings of liberty”?

• What does the word “posterity” mean in this phrase?

• Why is this important?

“…ORDAIN AND ESTABLISH THIS CONSTITUTION FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.”

• Ordain = accept• Establish = set in place• “…for the United States of America” = note

this speaks of the country AS A WHOLE– We were no longer a group of

colonies/independent states that were friends.– We were now one full unit with sovereign rights.