Constitution Day Q&As

• Q. What is meant by the term "constitution"?

  A. A constitution embodies the fundamental principles of a government.  Our constitution, adopted by the sovereign power, is amendable by that power only.  To the constitution all laws, executive actions, and judicial decisions must conform, as it is the creator of the powers exercised by the departments of government.

• Q. Who actually wrote the Constitution?

  A. In none of the relatively meager records of the Constitutional Convention is the literary authorship of any part of the Constitution definitely established.  The document was built slowly and laboriously.

• Q. What constitutes the Bill of Rights?

  A. The first ten amendments to the Constitution.

• Q. Who was called the "Father of the Constitution"?

  A. James Madison, of Virginia, because in point of erudition and actual contributions to the formation of the Constitution, he was preeminent.

• Q. How long did it take to frame the Constitution?

  A. It was drafted in fewer than 100 working days but serious conflict arose from the outset, especially between those representing the small and large states.

• Q. Where, in the Constitution, is there mention of education?

  A. There is none; education is a matter reserved for the States.