The Three Branches of Government

As we have seen, the framers of the Constitution had some important priorities. They knew they had to set up a government that would be able to hold up in any situation for centuries to come. There was no way that they could predict what situations might arise, but they did believe in some basic principles, and they built the law and government of the United States around certain principles.

The Constitution and its amendments were centered on principles like these:

• Every citizen has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
• No government, or part of government, should ever be powerful enough to attempt to take away the rights of its citizens
• The government is there to serve the people, and the people should be able to choose leaders and influence decisions