The Bill of Rights

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the creation of the Constitution of the United States, its purpose and its amendments. The paper then focuses on the Bill of Rights, which are the first ten amendments to the Constitution. In particular, the paper discusses how the first ten amendments of the Constitution have been a vital part of the political and legal developments of the United States.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Constitutional Amendments
Security Or Freedom
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The creation of the American republic started with a well written and popularly accepted Constitution, which shows a clear primacy for the individual over the government and is the greatest political achievement in the history of the Western world. The government's loyalty to the Constitution, which limits its power and guarantees human liberty, is nowhere else more sorely tested than in the time of war (Brown, 1994). But has the government really been faithful to its obligations to guarantee rights and liberties since September 11th 2001? Evidence shows that it has not. It has tortured people that have been arrested. It has claimed the power to lock up Americans for life and not even bring charges against them. It has prosecuted foreigners in secret, arrested lawyers who presume to defend them, and for the first time in American history, without obtaining a court order, it reads Americans' mail and uses what it finds against them. This is not the American government the Founding Fathers created (Napolitano, 2004)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Brown, P. G. (1994). Restoring the Public Trust: A Fresh Vision for Progressive Government in America. Boston: Beacon Press.
• Napolitano, A. P. ( 2004). Constitutional Chaos: What Happens When the Government Breaks its Own Laws? Nashville: Nelson Current.
• MSN Encarta. (2008). "The Bill of Rights." Retrieved February 28, 2008 from, www.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia.
• Paul, R. (2009). United States Times Weekly. "Freedom vs. Security: A False Choice." Retrieved March 1st, 2009 from original website, http://www.ustimesweekly.net/ust/getarticle.php?dept=16&page=3&column=1&article=615.
• Zeltmann, W. F. (1990). Human Rights. Brooklyn, NY: Yellow Hook Press.

More papers on The Bill of Rights:

• Analytical Essay # 97358 : "The Bill of Rights"
• Essay # 74970 : "The Defendant and the Bill of Rights"
• Analytical Essay # 117332 : "The Bill of Rights"
• Analytical Essay # 128446 : "Legal Protection and the Bill of Rights"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: