The United States And The Constitution - 2597 Words

In any society, the first thing that must be determined is from where the power to govern comes. No matter what form government takes, one thing remains constant; no person or group can govern without the will and consent of the people. This goes for despotic mad men and duly elected officers of a free electorate. If those who rule must command the will of those they lead, it must then follow that all executive power flows not from nobility, birthright, or wealth, but from the people themselves. It is this very principle, that any government was given authority and legitimacy from its subjects, that the United States government is based on, namely the Constitution. Taking their cue from the federal government, the states Nevada†¦show more content†¦Drawing on the British parliament, Greek democracy, Roman republic, and even the Native American confederations, The Constitution of the United States was completed on September 17, 1787 and ratified seven months later. The U.S. Constitution has 4,400 words. It is the shortest written Constitution of any major government in the world; However, if this is the document that all law in America is based then why is it so short? Because those founding fathers that had opposed centralized government wanted to have a document that expressly explained the duties, powers, and responsibilities of the new government. This truly was written as a rulebook for the government naming each and every rule that the people of the former colonies wanted the central government to abide by. Since the people wished this central government to have little power, the document is understandably short. In fact, the length of this document has only increased when it has been necessary to further curtail government’s power and increase civil liberties, prohibition being the only exception; however with its repeal this can be considered a wash. In juxtaposition, the Nevada State Constitution is 16,543 words long; almost four times as long as the U.S. Constitution. At first, many may find that the only explanation for the increased length is pretentious verbosity; however there are numerous reasons for this increased length and most have to do with