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Constitution of the United States  Tags: constitution laws congress judicial_branch legislative_branch executive_branch  

A brief guide to the document and selected research sources.
Last update: Sep 15th, 2009 URL: http://guides.lib.uiowa.edu/us_constitution  Print Guide  RSS Updates

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Introduction

Although the Constitution of the United States is a fairly brief document, it is broad in scope. It defines the structure of the U.S. legal system by allocating power and responsibility among the three branches of government and describes its fundamental principles, including separation of power, checks and balances, and shared authority of federal and state governments.  As the "supreme Law of the Land" all other laws must be written in accordance with and are subordinate to the Constitution.  Constitutional research often focuses on historical background, interpretation by the courts, scholarly analysis, and legislative action rather than actual constitutional language. The Declaration of Independence is the prelude document to the Constitution.

 

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