Constitution of the United States
Introduction
The wording of the Constitution is general, necessitating interpretation, and any short summary is only rough and approximate. From its very beginnings, the Constitution has been subject to stormy controversies, not only in interpretation of some of its phrases, but also between the “loose constructionists” and “strict constructionists.” The middle of the 19th cent. saw a tremendous struggle concerning the nature of the Union and the extent of states' rights. The Civil War decided the case in favor of the advocates of strong union, and since that time the general tendency has been toward the centralization and strengthening of federal power.
Sections in this article:
- Introduction
- The Other Amendments
- The Bill of Rights
- The Amendments
- 5: Amending the Constitution
- 4: The States
- 3: The Judiciary
- 2: The Executive Branch
- 1: Congress
- The Articles
- The Preamble
- Bibliography
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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