Framework of the Constitution

The Constitution of the United States of America has stood the test of time. The Founding Fathers' forethought as they deliberated and worded the Constitution, amendments by Congress, and judicial review by Supreme Courts over the years have helped the Constitution endure. Although the "fount of all authority,"1 it has also proven to be flexible, capable of meeting the different interests of generations of Americans.
In 1787, the Constitution's authors philosophically pondered what constitutes good government. Many delegates believed the document which emerged from the Constitutional Convention had established sufficient 'checks and balances' - governmental power divided between the federal government and the States, and the powers assigned to the federal government divided among the Legislative, Executive and Judicial Branches. Federalists debated the merits of a strong federal government, but anti-Federalists claimed a too powerful central government would usurp state sovereignty. …