what is constitution

A constitution is a set of fundamental laws that govern how a state or country is run. It represents the ideals of a state and includes the most fundamental rules governing a society. Constitutions can be codified, meaning they are written down clearly in a specific document, or un-codified, as in the case of some countries like Israel, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The United States Constitution, for example, is the supreme law of the United States of America, superseding the Articles of Confederation in 1789. It delineates the national frame and constraints of government, embodying the doctrine of the separation of powers and dividing the federal government into three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. The drafting of the U.S. Constitution was completed at the Constitutional Convention in 1787, and it is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world today. Constitutions are generally more difficult to amend than ordinary legislation, reflecting the fundamental importance of the rules set out in the constitution.