The Declaration of Independence is a list of grievances against the English king, and it broke the political ties between Great Britain and the American colonies. The document set the principles and ideas that form a fair and just government. On the other hand, the Constitution outlined how the new administration would function by setting the laws of the land. The two charters are essential in the U.S., and they state that a regime gains its authority from the people who elected them as representatives to express its will.
In U.S. history, the Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4, 1776, by the Continental Congress. It announced the separation of North American British colonies from Great Britain. America was under British rule from 1607 to 1783, and the colonists wanted freedom from King George III’s monarchy, which taxed them unfairly (Wills, 2018). The nation’s people also needed self-government that would rule with justice and fairness. The purpose of this document was to fight for people’s rights, which include the pursuit of happiness, liberty, and life. The goals of designing the write-up were to win foreign allies, rally the troops, and announce the creation of a new country with freedom. It also gave the citizens the power to abolish a government if it did not satisfy their will.
The U.S. Constitution was written in 1787, endorsed in 1788, and put into operation in 1789. The charter affirms that the government exists to serve the country’s citizens. It is the legal landmark and the oldest correspondent national regulation in effect currently in the Western world. The fundamental law of the United States defines and outlines the jurisdictions of the three principal branches of the federal government. The canon is powerful and consists of executive, legislative, and judicial divisions with a system of checks and balances (Wills, 2018). It protects the liberties of various individuals of American citizens.
Declaration of Independence ideas involved happiness, liberty, and the right to live, which were revolutionary for the American fight for freedom. The battle lasted seven years after the British forces were removed from Savannah and Charleston (Wang, 2021). The document was complete with the people rejecting the monarchy leadership and replaced with a republican government. Today, the propositions are still relevant since they announced the founding of a new nation that marked a diplomatic appeal for recognition and calls for non-coercion at home and abroad. Moreover, the democracy of the United States of America comes from pressure within the country and from abroad.
The first three articles of the Constitution include the legislative, executive, and judiciary. The others regulate the actions of each capacity with the individual powers each has. For instance, the president can veto laws, but congress has the authority to override them. In a real-life example, in Donald Trump, the former U.S. president’s campaign, there was a pledge to build a wall that acted as a roadblock to prevent Mexican migrants from entering the country freely without proper documentation (Verney, 2019). Even though this decision was refuted by congress, Trump used executive powers and built the barrier.
Indeed, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are essential documents in the U.S. The presence of the checks and balances system in the branches of government is to watch over one another and ensure that no office is more powerful than the other. They aid in preventing improper behavior, reducing mistakes, and minimizing the risk of power centralization. The legislative can create rules, but the supreme court declares them unconstitutional.
References
Verney, K. (2019). Bad hombres: The Trump administration, Mexican immigration and the border wall. In M. Oliva, and M. Shanahan (Eds.), The Trump Presidency (pp. 137-158). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. Web.
Wang, M. (2021). Major issues in historical studies of revolutionary base areas. In X. Yin (Ed.), The History and Logic of Modern Chinese Politics (pp. 73-80). Springer, Singapore. Web.
Wills, G. (2018). Inventing America: Jefferson’s declaration of independence. Vintage.