Most Important Principle of the Constitution

Checks and balances is the most important principle of the Constitution because it limits the powers of all three branches so that one branch can not become over powered. It is an important principle because it splits up the powers and makes sure that the branches keep each other in line.

All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

This shows that there are two houses inside of one branch which is sort of a checks and balances inside of its own branch. Then there is checks and balances with other branches as well. A double checks and balances makes sure that only the best laws will come out of this branch and will better the United States.

The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.

In Article 1 Section 3 it combines the Executive and Legislative branches. The Vice President gets the final say of the Legislative if they cannot decide the tie in votes. This allows for the ruling to be more fair and is definitely an example of balancing the system

Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States: If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law.

The mentioned section of the Constitution shows the greatest form of checks and balances. The Legislative creates bills and proposed laws and then send them to the Executive branch where the President checks the bills and proposed laws to see if they would work or not and then either veto or accept it. 


In short, checks and balances is the most important principle of the Constitution because it gives powers to all 3 branches and makes sure that one branch cannot take over the other branches and control the whole government.

Checks and Balances as seen in the United States government

Similarities and Differences Between the Constitution and Declaration

A huge similarity between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, is the fact that they were both written to create a fair and free government for the United States.

 In the Declaration it clearly states

 "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable-rights, that among these are life,liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men,deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."

 This quote clearly shows how important that freedom and equality was to them. The colonists felt that human beings have certain rights that should not be taken away from them and they were willing to fight to protect these rights.


Later on in the Declaration there is quite a large section about how unfair and unjust the King of Great Britain was, it starts with

 "The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world."

It was followed by a long list of all that "He", the King, had done wrong. Refusing to pass laws, quartering soldiers in American homes, protecting the British through mock trials are just some injustices from that long list. The colonists had enough of his tyranny and wanted to rid themselves of it.


In Article 3 section 2 of the constitution it focused on one of the freedoms of the citizens of the United States, being the freedom to a fair trial. It states, 

"The trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Congress may by Law have directed"

This shows that citizens will not be unfairly tried and will be proven guilty only when they truly are with the use of a Jury. Using a jury allows for the most unbiased opinion possible and will allow for the best possible result of the trial. This is a great freedom at the time seeing as the trials in the past were unfair due to the trials being held in British courts and always leaning towards the British side.


The Declaration of Independence and Constitution worked greatly to create a fair and free government for the citizens of the United States, who were not used to a fair or free government at all from the British Empire in the past.