About
The Constitution is the foundational document of the United States which establishes our country as a single nation, i.e. more than a group of allied states. It defines our branches of government and both grants and restricts their powers and the powers of individual states to collectively maintain a balanced and distributed system of rights, laws, economics, military, and political infrastructure. Its guiding principles helped ensure the success of the United States, and it serves as a global model for modern democracy.
This Constitution Day website was created to remind the UCI community of the purpose and significance of the Constitution and its relevance today. We encourage everyone to explore the document, its history, and the amendments which followed.
On the home page, we show large images of the entire Constitution to help readers experience the scope and history of the real document so that references to the Constitution will conjure memories of the actual document rather than abstract concepts. The Constitution is a real, tangible thing still immensely important in today's society. On the transcript page, we tried to replicate the size and spacing of text to simulate the layout of the actual Constitution to help readers focus on the words and meaning of the text.
Lastly, we link to websites curated by UCOP and the National Archives with additional information, and we encourage readers to visit these sites to learn more about the Constitution, its meaning, significance, and history.
Bill of Rights
The first 10 amendments to the Constitution were ratified on December 15, 1791 and are known as the Bill of Rights. However, twelve amendments had been proposed and appear on the document. The two proposed amendments which failed were first on the list and pertained to...
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Apportionment of Representatives.
Proposed a fixed ratio of representatives to population to ensure representatives in the House of Representatives were familiar with constituent concerns and interests.
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Congressional Pay.
Proposed holding members of Congress accountable for their own pay rate changes by not allowing changes to take affect until after the next election. Although this did not pass initially, this proposal would later pass in 1992 as the 27th amendment.
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the first attempt to formally define the United States as a country and was in effect from 1781 to 1789; however, it primarily emphasized state alliances instead of supporting a national government. Moreover, it did not cede the ability for a national authority to settle disputes between states or generate revenue for expenses related to national governance and defense. The fledgling United States was at a critical period of its development and some leaders such as George Washington believed it was on the brink of collapse.
To address these issues, a "secret" Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation free from political pressures or other partisan influences. Eventually, "nationalist" representatives had a significant impact on the assembled body, and after a great deal of discussion and debate, the Constitution of the United States ended up being signed and ratified to replace the Articles of Confederation.
