Linked from

The 91 pages that link to Constitution of the United States, each with the reason it gives.

• American RevolutionRelated: Its adoption replaced the wartime confederation with a stronger federal system.

• John LockeRelated: Lockean ideas about rights and constrained authority entered the political tradition surrounding its formation.

• Separation of powersBroader topic: Its first three articles assign federal powers to separate branches.

• SecularismRelated: Its First Amendment bars religious establishment and protects free exercise.

• Judicial reviewRelated: Its allocation of governmental powers frames the U.S. case for constitutional review.

• RepublicanismBroader topic: Its republican framework combines popular authority, elected offices, and institutional checks.

• George WashingtonRelated: It created the presidency Washington occupied under the new government.

• Benjamin FranklinRelated: At age 81, Franklin urged compromise among delegates at the 1787 Constitutional Convention.

• Presidential systemBroader topic: It establishes the classic presidential arrangement of separately elected branches.

• Liberal democracyBroader topic: It provides an early example of constitutional limits combined with representative government.

• United StatesRelated: It establishes the framework shared by the federal government and the states.

• United States SenateRelated: The Constitution creates the Senate and specifies its composition, powers, and procedures.

• Magna CartaRelated: American constitutional arguments drew on liberties associated with Magna Carta, though the charter was not its direct blueprint.

• American Revolutionary WarRelated: The weaknesses of the postwar confederation helped prompt its creation.

• Louisiana PurchaseRelated: The Constitution did not explicitly specify a process for acquiring foreign territory, prompting Jefferson’s doubts.

• James MadisonBroader topic: Madison helped shape its design at the 1787 convention and defended ratification.

• United States House of RepresentativesRelated: The Constitution creates the House and sets its membership, qualifications, and core powers.

• PhiladelphiaRelated: Delegates drafted and signed it in Philadelphia in 1787.

• United States Bill of RightsNarrower topic: The Bill of Rights consists of amendments to this founding document.

• Supreme Court of the United StatesNarrower topic: It creates the judicial branch and supplies the text the Court interprets.

• Thirteen ColoniesRelated: It replaced the confederation that had governed the former colonies.

• Articles of ConfederationCompared with: It replaced the Articles with a government able to tax, regulate commerce, and act directly on individuals.

• Basic Law for the Federal Republic of GermanyCompared with: Unlike the Basic Law’s original provisional framing, it was adopted as a constitution for an established union.

• Constitutional lawBroader topic: It established a durable written constitutional framework and became a major model for constitutional review.

• ConstitutionBroader topic: It establishes a federal republic with separated branches and an amendment process.

• Federation of AustraliaCompared with: Its model informed debate, while Australia's constitution preserved parliamentary government.

• The Federalist PapersNarrower topic: The essays defend this proposed framework against Anti-Federalist objections.

• MontesquieuRelated: Its separation of governmental powers reflects ideas commonly associated with Montesquieu.

• United States Declaration of IndependenceRelated: It established a durable national government after independence, addressing a problem the declaration did not resolve.

• United States customary unitsRelated: It gives Congress authority to fix standards of weights and measures.

• Federalist PartyRelated: Ratification disputes over the Constitution helped organize Federalists as a political force.

• ImpeachmentRelated: Its provisions define federal impeachment grounds, roles, and possible penalties.

• OriginalismNarrower topic: Originalism’s modern debates chiefly concern how this text should govern present disputes.

• Checks and balancesBroader topic: Its structure gives each federal branch powers that can check the others.

• HaudenosauneeCompared with: Claims that Haudenosaunee governance directly shaped the Constitution remain debated and differ from documented political influence.

• United States Department of StateRelated: The Constitution’s executive structure provided the framework for a cabinet department handling foreign affairs.

• Argentine Constitution of 1853Related: Its federal structure and presidential system strongly influenced the Argentine text.

• United States presidential electionNarrower topic: Its provisions create the presidential office and the basic framework for selecting it.

• Constitution of 3 May 1791Compared with: Both charters limited and organized government, but arose from different political structures.

• Whiskey RebellionRelated: The rebellion tested the stronger taxing and enforcement powers created by the Constitution.

• Fifth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionNarrower topic: The Fifth Amendment is part of the Constitution’s first ten amendments.

• Nineteenth AmendmentNarrower topic: The Nineteenth Amendment changed the Constitution through its formal amendment process.

• Constitutional ConventionBroader topic: It was the convention’s central product and replaced the Articles of Confederation.

• Anti-FederalismRelated: Its proposed distribution of authority was the central subject of Anti-Federalist criticism.

• United States Armed ForcesRelated: Its provisions divide military authority between Congress and the president.

• Vice President of the United StatesNarrower topic: Article II creates the vice presidency and assigns its original constitutional duties.

• Virginia Declaration of RightsRelated: The declaration’s insistence on limited government helped shape later American constitutional expectations.

• Civic RepublicanismRelated: Its designers drew on republican concerns about representation, faction, and restraints on power.

• Constitution of 1824Related: Its federal structure influenced Mexican constitutional debates, though Mexico adopted distinct institutions.

• South African Constitution of 1996Compared with: Its older federal model offers a comparison with South Africa’s post-apartheid constitutional design.