Blogging the Constitution: The Preamble.

by Jezla. 

The Preamble to the Constitution is perhaps the best known and most quoted part of the entire document.  It is, quite simply, an introduction which states the purpose of the text which follows.  Here is the Preamble in full:

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

There are a few comments that need to be made about this relatively clear statement of purpose.

First, the clauses about a more perfect union, justice, tranquility, defense, and general welfare, as well as the blessings of liberty simply modify the primary statement that the people of the United States are establishing a Constitution for the Union.  These clauses state the reasons the States are entering into this compact, and neatly describe what the goals of the central government should be.

“a more perfect union” - This is to say that while no government is perfect, the current Constitution is better than the previous one (The Articles of Confederation).

“establish justice” - The government is responsible for ensuring that laws are fair and equally applied, and that the standards are uniform throughout the Union.

“ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense” - The government is to keep the States from fighting each other as well as protecting the Union itself from foreign threats.  It is also to protect the States from internal rebellion.

“promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty” - Many people take this to mean that the government is responsible for our prosperity, hence the constant talk about how the current or aspiring president will manage the economy or education.  Note, however, that it says “promote” and “secure,” not “provide” and “grant.”  This means that the government is to ensure that conditions exist which will allow people the opportunity to succeed and prosper, and to guard those conditions into the future, “our posterity.”  This Constitution was intended to be long-lasting.

Second, it is interesting to note that the Preamble originally named each state individually (i.e. “the people of the State of New York, the people of the State of Massachusetts, etc.), but was condensed to “the people of the United States” for stylistic reasons.  This makes clear that the Constitution is an agreement between the states, ratified by the people thereof, and several states provided clarification of that fact when they ratified it.  Virginia, for instance, reserved the right to secede, which would be hotly debated some seventy years later. 

The Framers packed a lot into a single sentence, but it is important to understand that it does not end there.  The Preamble states the goals and intent of the new government.  Next time we’ll begin to look at the form and function the Constitution gives to that government.