What is the world's oldest Constitution?

Critical Analysis

Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:

1. A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. It essentially outlines the structure, powers, and duties of the government, and often guarantees certain rights to the people it governs. Constitutions can be written, like the US Constitution, or unwritten, like the UK's. How old is The U.S. Constitution?

2. Although the Magna Carta predates the The United States Constitution, it is NOT a constitution as much as a framework limiting the English king. Overall, what big story does the data from the infographic tell about the relative age of the American Constitution?

3. In almost every way imaginable, the United States has been radically transformed over the past two centuries. Its population has soared from just 4 million to 300 million. The federal budget has risen from $4 million in 1790 to over $1 trillion today. Yet the basic framework of government written in The U.S. Constitution has remained unchanged. Why do you think the U.S. Constitution has lasted so long?

4. While the United States has been governed by a single framework of government for over two centuries, France, in contrast, has had 10 separate and distinct constitutional orders (including five republics, two empires, a monarchy, and two dictatorships). The country of El Salvador has had 36 constitutions since 1824. At the same time, many of the problems and issues our nation faces today would have been unimaginable by the 55 White men who wrote the U.S. Constitution in 1789. Make a claim (argument) about whether having an old Constitution is a good thing.

5. The U.S.. Constitution is deliberately difficult to amend the U.S. Constitution to ensure stability and prevent changes based on fleeting popular opinion. The process requires a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the state legislatures, making it a high bar to clear. Since the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788, only the Ten Amendments in the Bill of Rights plus 17 subsequent Amendments have been ratified.

   I asked ChatGPT to write a gangsta rap about why the U.S. Constitution is so hard to amend. Here it is.

   Title: "Hard to Change"
   (Gangsta Rap about the U.S. Constitution)

   🎵 Beat kicks in: Boom-bap with deep bass, slow tempo, old-school West Coast vibe 🎵

   [Verse 1]
   Yo, I’m posted up with that parchment script,
   Since 1787, we been locked in this grip.
   It’s the U.S. Con-sti-tu-tion, the real OG,
   But try to change it? Man, that ain’t easy.

   Founders built it tough, like a vault with a code,
   Ain’t no drive-thru law — this a long, hard road.
   Two-thirds Congress gotta ride for the play,
   Then three-fourths the states gotta shout, "Okay!"

   That’s 38 states, homie, do the math,
   Tryna shift the game? Better walk the righteous path.
   They made it slow so we think it through,
   No knee-jerk laws when the heat come through.

   [Hook – Chorus]
   It’s hard to change, locked in steel,
   Checks and balances keep it real.
   From Philly streets to Capitol Hill,
   That Constitution’s got iron will.

   Ain’t no loophole, ain't no scheme,
   Gotta hustle votes like a dream team.
   You want an amendment? Better plan with skill —
   ‘Cause the Foundin’ Fathers kept it cold and chill.

   [Verse 2]
   Yo, only 27 got through the gate,
   Outta thousands of tries, that’s a cold-ass fate.
   Prohibition came and then it went,
   Taught us quick what them changes meant.

   From freein’ the slaves to women’s votes,
   Every win took sweat in them statehouse coats.
   It ain’t about rage, it’s about the grind,
   Takes patience and power to redefine.

   See, the Framers knew change had to be rare,
   Too easy to flip? Man, that just ain't fair.
   So they built in the struggle, locked it tight,
   So we don’t lose freedom in a single night.

   [Hook – Chorus]
   It’s hard to change, locked in steel,
   Checks and balances keep it real.
   From Philly streets to Capitol Hill,
   That Constitution’s got iron will.

   Ain’t no loophole, ain't no scheme,
   Gotta hustle votes like a dream team.
   You want an amendment? Better plan with skill —
   ‘Cause the Foundin’ Fathers kept it cold and chill.

   [Outro – Spoken Word Style Over the Beat Fading Out]
   So next time you hear someone talkin’ slick,
   ‘Bout flippin' the script and changin' it quick...
   Tell 'em this ain’t just some neighborhood rule,
   It’s the law of the land — built to school.

   Hard to change.
   Hard to break.
   But that’s the price
   For freedom’s stake.

   🎤 Mic drop 🎤

   Do you think The U.S. Constitution should be easier to ratify?

6. If there was no process by which to amend our Constitution would we still have our original Constitution?

7. 55 White men attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Only 39 signed it. Approximately 25 of the 55 delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia enslaved human beings. This represents roughly half of the delegates present at the convention. Many of these individuals, including prominent figures like George Washington and James Madison, owned slaves on plantations or large farms. How does the Constitution’s history make you feel about the legitimacy of the Constitution?

8. The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution reads, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” How well do you think the U.S. Constitution is keeping its promises?

9. The original Constitution did not outlaw slavery and did not allow women to vote. How different do you think the Constitution would be if women and non-Whites had been able to draft it/vote on it?

10. Imagine a country did not have a Constitution. How would that country make political decisions and how long do you think that country would last?

Write and Discuss

Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.

Act on your Learning

Read about the constitutional amendment process, write a proposal for a new amendment to the constitution, and send it to your congressional representative.

Get Creative

If the U.S. Constitution were an animal what would it be?

Learning Extension

Check out this timeline of world Constitutions, then visit the National Constitution Center Website, and try to pass this Bill of Rights Quiz. Share your scores in class or online.