Teaching the Constitution

Abstract

The Constitution of the United States is the essential document of the American Republic. It not only sets the legal perimeters under which the federal government operates, but it also creates a balance in the political relations between the federal government and the individual states. The Bill of Rights, the initial 10 amendments to the document, ratified in 1791, provide both civil rights, as well as the guarantee of criminal procedures for individual citizens. Therefore, its careful study is critical to produce an educated citizenry capable of making knowledgeable political decisions. This chapter puts forward a mode of study for the document at the heart of our republic.