2What is the supreme law of the land?
- (U.S.) Constitution
"Supreme" means highest. The Constitution is the highest law, so no federal or state law can go against it. It was written in 1787 in Philadelphia and is still used today.
Lesson 1 · 15 min
The U.S. Constitution
Learn what the Constitution is, what it does, how it can change, and which rights the Bill of Rights protects.
In this lesson you will learn
- Explain why the Constitution is called the supreme law of the land.
- Name the main things the Constitution does for the government and the people.
- Explain the meaning of the words “We the People.”
- Describe what an amendment is and remember that there are 27 amendments.
- Name the Bill of Rights and some documents that influenced the Constitution.
The supreme law of the land
The Constitution is the most important law in the United States. People call it “the supreme law of the land.” Supreme means highest, so no other law can go against it.
Leaders wrote the Constitution in 1787, in Philadelphia. It is still used today. Every federal, state, and local law must agree with it, and if a law goes against it, a court can say the law is not valid.
The Constitution does three big jobs. First, it forms the government and defines its parts: Congress, the President, and the courts. Second, it defines and limits the powers of government. Third, it protects the basic rights of the people.
“We the People”
The Constitution begins with three words: “We the People.” These words show that the power of the government comes from the people. The government does not belong to a king or to a small group.
This idea has several names. Self-government means that people govern (rule) themselves. Popular sovereignty means that the people hold the highest power. Consent of the governed means that the government needs the agreement of the people.
You may also hear the words “social contract.” A social contract is like an agreement: the people accept the laws, and the government protects their rights. People give their consent mainly by voting for their leaders.
Documents that shaped the Constitution
The writers of the Constitution learned from older documents. The Declaration of Independence (1776) said that people have rights and that government gets its power from the people. The Articles of Confederation were the first national plan of government, but that government was too weak, so leaders replaced it with the Constitution.
Some ideas came from the time of the colonies. In the Mayflower Compact (1620), settlers agreed to make fair laws for themselves. The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (1639) were an early written plan of government, and the Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776) was a list of rights that later helped shape the Bill of Rights.
The Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) nations had the Great Law of Peace, which joined several nations under shared rules. Many historians say this idea of a union influenced American leaders.
People also debated the Constitution in writing. The Federalist Papers were essays that asked people to support it. The Anti-Federalist Papers were writings by people who feared a national government that was too strong, and their worries helped lead to the Bill of Rights.
Amendments: how the Constitution changes
An amendment is a change or an addition to the Constitution. The writers knew the country would grow and change. So they included a way to amend it, called the amendment process.
Changing the Constitution is hard on purpose. Usually, two-thirds of both parts of Congress must propose (suggest) an amendment. Then three-fourths of the states, which is 38 of the 50 states, must approve (ratify) it.
Today the Constitution has 27 amendments. The newest one, the 27th Amendment, was approved in 1992. Many amendments added new rights, such as the right to vote for more groups of people.
The Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments are called the Bill of Rights. They were added in 1791. Many people wanted a clear list of rights that the government could not take away.
The Bill of Rights protects the basic rights of Americans and of people living in the United States. The First Amendment protects five freedoms: speech, religion, assembly (meeting in groups), press (newspapers and other news), and petition (asking the government to change something).
Other amendments in the Bill of Rights protect the right to bear arms, protect people from unfair searches by the police, and give people accused of a crime the right to a fair trial.
Important words
- Constitution
- The written plan of the U.S. government and the highest law of the country.
- Supreme law of the land
- The highest law. No other law can go against it.
- Amendment
- A change or addition to the Constitution.
- Bill of Rights
- The first ten amendments to the Constitution. They protect basic rights.
- Self-government
- The people rule themselves, mainly by choosing their leaders.
- Popular sovereignty
- The idea that the highest power belongs to the people.
- Consent of the governed
- The government gets its power from the agreement of the people.
- Ratify
- To formally approve. States ratify amendments.
Recap
- The Constitution is the supreme law of the land. It forms the government, defines its powers, and protects the rights of the people.
- “We the People” means the people govern themselves: self-government, popular sovereignty, and consent of the governed.
- An amendment is a change or addition to the Constitution. There are 27 amendments.
- The first ten amendments are the Bill of Rights. The First Amendment protects speech, religion, assembly, press, and petition.
- Documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Federalist Papers influenced the Constitution.
Official questions in this lesson
2025 test: 7 official questions
3Name one thing the U.S. Constitution does.
- Forms the government
- Defines powers of government
- Defines the parts of government
- Protects the rights of the people
The Constitution is the plan for the national government. It creates the government, says what each part can do, and protects people's rights. Memory hook: its first three articles set up the three branches of government.
4The U.S. Constitution starts with the words “We the People.” What does “We the People” mean?
- Self-government
- Popular sovereignty
- Consent of the governed
- People should govern themselves
- (Example of) social contract
"We the People" are the first three words of the Constitution. They mean the power of the government comes from the people, not from a king. The people agree to be governed and choose their leaders by voting.
5How are changes made to the U.S. Constitution?
- Amendments
- The amendment process
A change or addition to the Constitution is called an amendment. It is hard on purpose: usually two-thirds of both houses of Congress must propose it, and three-fourths of the states (38 of 50) must approve it.
6What does the Bill of Rights protect?
- (The basic) rights of Americans
- (The basic) rights of people living in the United States
The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the Constitution. They were added in 1791. They protect basic rights like freedom of speech and freedom of religion, and many of these rights protect everyone living in the U.S., not only citizens.
7How many amendments does the U.S. Constitution have?
- Twenty-seven (27)
The Constitution has been changed 27 times. The first 10 amendments are the Bill of Rights. The newest one, the 27th, was approved in 1992 and is about pay for members of Congress.
14Many documents influenced the U.S. Constitution. Name one.
- Declaration of Independence
- Articles of Confederation
- Federalist Papers
- Anti-Federalist Papers
- Virginia Declaration of Rights
- Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
- Mayflower Compact
- Iroquois Great Law of Peace
The people who wrote the Constitution learned from older ideas and documents. The Articles of Confederation was the first national plan, but it made the central government too weak. The Mayflower Compact (1620) was an early promise by colonists to make and follow their own rules.
2008 test: 7 official questions
1What is the supreme law of the land?
- the Constitution
The "supreme law" is the highest law in the country. The Constitution is that law, so no federal, state or local law may go against it. It was written in 1787 and is still in use today.
2What does the Constitution do?
- sets up the government
- defines the government
- protects basic rights of Americans
The Constitution is the plan for the national government. It creates the three branches, says what each one can do, and protects basic rights of the people. You only need to give one of these answers.
3The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
- We the People
The Constitution begins with the words "We the People." These words show that the power of the government comes from the people, not from a king. This idea is called self-government.
4What is an amendment?
- a change (to the Constitution)
- an addition (to the Constitution)
An amendment is a change or an addition to the Constitution. Changing the Constitution is hard: Congress and most of the states must agree. Today the Constitution has 27 amendments.
5What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
- the Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments are called the Bill of Rights. They were added in 1791 to protect personal freedoms, like freedom of speech and religion. James Madison wrote most of them.
6What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment?
- speech
- religion
- assembly
- press
- petition the government
The First Amendment protects five freedoms: speech, religion, assembly (meeting in groups), press, and petition (asking the government to change something). You only need to name one. Memory hook: "RAPPS" for Religion, Assembly, Press, Petition, Speech.
7How many amendments does the Constitution have?
- twenty-seven (27)
The Constitution has 27 amendments. The first ten were added in 1791. The newest one, about the pay of members of Congress, was added in 1992.
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Lesson text is original study material based on the USCIS 2025 Civics Test Study Guide topics. Editorial status: draft, pending expert review.