What document outlines the principles of American government?

The United States Constitution is the foundational document that outlines the principles of American government. It establishes the structure of the government, delineates the powers and responsibilities of each branch, and enumerates the rights of citizens. As the supreme law of the land, the Constitution provides a framework for governance that ensures checks and balances among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

The Constitution also lays out key principles such as popular sovereignty, the rule of law, separation of powers, and federalism, making it essential for understanding how the American government operates. It serves to guide lawmakers and citizens alike in the interpretation of laws and ensures that individual rights are protected within the governing framework. Other documents, like the Declaration of Independence, articulate the desire for freedom and the rationale behind the separation from British rule, but they do not provide the governing structure that the Constitution offers. The Bill of Rights, while critical for protecting individual freedoms, is an amendment to the Constitution and does not outline the principles of governance on its own. The Articles of Confederation, though an early attempt at governance, ultimately proved inadequate and were replaced by the Constitution, which provides a more robust framework for federal government.