Power possessed by the public, and power supplied to members of the government, originate from the same documents: Constitutions, Federal Codes, State Laws, Ethics, Regulations and arguably additional documented sources that are all available for public review.
Our system of government was design by U.S. residents, for people to manage, and We the People, by agreeing to become members of government, and be governed, are the source of power the system relies on to function effectively.
During the 1770s, citizens of the U.S. designed this government to include a group of representatives acting collectively on behalf of the people. We the People agreed with the concept where public servants have limited powers and must provide services to the citizenry as it is written in the founding documents, laws and ethics. That agreement is now referred to as “Consent of the Governed”. The political force of Popular Sovereignty resulted, acting as the lifeblood of the United State of America’s system of government; capped by the U.S. Constitution.
U.S. citizens are acknowledged Constitutionally as the Nations’ only source of power and were assigned freedom of speech to prevent censorship, punishment or dismissal of the public voice required for a representative republic. We the People are assigned a duty to manage government and public services it provides.
The U.S. Constitution is a charter that limits government by granting and limiting specific capacities by social, ethical, and practical realities that extend beyond codified laws comprising the “rule of law”. The 10th Amendment limits federal power to protect state sovereignty and prevent an overly strong central government. Government overreach is challenged by checks and balances between branches of government and being accountable to the citizens. Powers not granted to government by the Constitution reside with States and We the People.
Power beheld by positions in government are limited while power of U.S. residents is not, unless self-removed by criminal activity.
At the 1863 Gettysburg Address, founder Abraham Lincoln stated, “Of the people, by the people, for the people”, as an admission U.S. Government is within hands of U.S. citizens, as ratified nearly one-hundred years earlier. Still to this day citizens manage the U.S. government and can enter government.
The founding docs grant We the People power to care for themselves and manage U.S. Government through governmental actions such as informing reps of public expectations, attend local meetings, shape policies, and disseminate information. Citizens can contest failures of officials and become part of government by running for office!
Declaration of Independence -Ratified July 4th 1776
The means for American colonies breaking free from British laws involved leaders of citizens forming Charters of Freedom establishing U.S. States as a republic; a self-governed independent nation.
Articles of Confederation -1781–1789
The Articles of Confederation served as the United States’ first constitution, creating a loose “league of friendship” among sovereign states to coordinate the Revolutionary War. It established a weak central government with a single-chamber Congress, lacking the power to tax, regulate commerce, or enforce laws, which directly led to its replacement by the U.S. Constitution.
The U.S. Constitution -September 17th of 1787
Describes a new government of representatives, approved by citizenry, who uphold a standard of living determined by the general public.
Bill of Rights -Ratified December 15, 1791
Guaranteed fundamental individual rights and civil liberties, limiting power of the federal government. Defines citizens’ freedoms in relation to the government by stating specific guarantees of personal freedoms.