Constitution of the United States: The Articles

The first three articles set up the threefold separation of powers, said to have been modeled on Montesquieu's study, which on this point was incorrect, of the British government. In actuality this separation has been weakened by the granting of greater powers to the President and his administrative agencies, which now have legislative and judicial as well as executive functions.

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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