Role of the United States Constitution

Essay by LyonessfairyUniversity, Bachelor'sA, January 2010

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The United States Constitution; many are familiar with the famous "We the people" statement of the preamble to the Constitutions details; however, does the common individual understand why the Constitution is so important? The constitution has provided and allocated powers to the many facets of the Federal Government. There are three branches of the government which this power is exemplified, they are: the executive branch, the legislative branch and finally the judicial branch. With enabled power distributed to these branches, the importance of the Constitution now stands in as a protective body or means for every citizen. "It protects individual rights by limiting the government's ability to restrict those rights" (Cheeseman, pg. 49, ¶5).

One of the most important amendments in the Constitution would be amendment 14: Due process.

"The Fourteenth Amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution in 1868. Its originalpurpose was to guarantee equal rights to all persons after the Civil War.

The provisions ofthe Fourteenth Amendment prohibit discriminatory and unfair action by the government" (Cheeseman, pg.60, ¶3, sic).

This amendment first established that no State shall abridge or shorten the rights of any of its citizens. This is important because prior to the 14th amendment, the States were able to basically overlook or ignore the Bill of Rights. Although the original amendment was expanded to include several clauses, the first clause is the most important. This clause provides protection to expanded not only individual liberties, but to the protection of workers against state regulations and to the rights of privacy within a work place.

The rights to privacy can sway in both directions; for the company in which one works for, and for that of the worker. For their own protection against malicious activity companies have established codes of conduct that protect their business assets as well...