Constitution

The foundational governing document of the United States that establishes the framework of government and enumerates certain rights and protections. The claims discuss its design intent, its specific provisions (including those relating to enslaved people and minorities), and its limitations and ambiguities as a legal text.

Claims that use this term

• The Constitution protects prisoners more than schoolchildren from beatings.
• The Constitution was designed to curb, not maximize, political engagement.
• The Constitution protected religious minorities but left racial minorities unprotected
• The Constitution contains specific provisions protecting enslaved people as property
• The Constitution used the word citizen repeatedly but never defined it
• The Constitution embedded slavery protections without ever naming slavery