Читать книгу American Democracy in Context - Joseph A. Pika - Страница 76

The Constitution has only seven articles, preceded by a preamble and followed by the 27 amendments that have been made since its ratification. The preamble spelled out the justification for the Constitution (“to form a more perfect Union”), its fundamental goals (which included establishing justice and “securing the blessings of Liberty”), and made clear that the new Constitution and the government established by it were created by “We the people” (as opposed to being created by the states, as had been the case with the Articles of Confederation). The first three articles that follow the preamble each spell out the power of one of the three branches of government. The remaining articles are concerned with federal–state relations as well as with the relations among the states and provide procedures for ratifying the Constitution and amending it.