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authority directly over all the citizens of the nation.
The framers of the Constitution sought to reconcile their belief in
democracy with their concern about the possible abuses of a
centralized government. The solution was to divide the powers of the
federal government by function. The Constitution establishes separate
executive, legislative and judicial branches of government, and
requires that a "balance of power" be maintained among them. Under
this principle, each branch is provided independent means to exercise
checks on the activities of the others, thus guaranteeing that no branch
can gain dictatorial authority over the government. In addition, even
under this strong central government, states retain considerable power:
each state, for example, has the right to educate children and young
people, build highways and maintain order within its borders.
Moreover, the ratification of an amendment to the Constitution
requires approval by three-fourths of the state legislatures or state
conventions.
The Constitution was accepted in 1788, but only after much bitter
debate. Many Americans feared that a powerful central government
would trample on the liberties of the people, and 10 amendments
guaranteeing these liberties - the Bill of Rights - were added to the
Constitution in 1791. The Bill of Rights ensures freedom of religion, a
free press, free speech, protection against illegal searches, the right to
a fair trial by jury and protection against "cruel and unusual
punishments." Nor were liberties limited to those specified: The Ninth
Amendment holds that "enumeration in the Constitution of certain
rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by
the people." The addition to the Constitution of the Bill of Rights thus
strikes a balance between the need for a strong efficient central
authority and the need to ensure individual liberties.
Since the Bill of Rights was adopted, 16 other amendments have
been added to the Constitution. The 14th Amendment, which bars
states from denying "any person" either "due process" or "equal
protection" of law is in many ways an extension of the fundamental
civil liberties provided by the Bill of Rights. Simply put, it guarantees
that all persons in the nation have equal rights. Other key amendments
include: the 13th, barring slavery; the 15th, prohibiting states from
interfering with the right to vote; and the 19th, giving women the right
to vote.
The framers of the Constitution created an enduring but by no
means unchanging document. The Constitution was formulated in a