One of the two primary purposes of the Constitution's preamble was to (1
• determine how to keep the United States peaceful
• introduce each of the 27 amendments
outline the six goals for the country
• explain the reasons behind the Bill of Rights
outline the six goals for the country
The correct answer is:
- outline the six goals for the country
The primary purpose of the Constitution's preamble is to outline the six goals or aims of the United States government. These goals are stated as follows:
1. To form a more perfect Union: This indicates the desire to create a stronger union of states than the previous government under the Articles of Confederation.
2. To establish justice: This emphasizes the importance of creating a fair and impartial legal system.
3. To ensure domestic tranquility: This goal highlights the objective of maintaining peace and order within the country.
4. To provide for the common defense: This recognizes the need for a strong national defense to protect the United States and its citizens.
5. To promote the general welfare: This suggests the government's responsibility to support and enhance the well-being of its citizens.
6. To secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity: This indicates the commitment to protecting individual freedoms and ensuring they are passed on to future generations.
The preamble acts as an introduction to the Constitution and sets the overall tone and purpose of the document.
The correct answer is: outline the six goals for the country.
To arrive at this answer, we can break down the options and analyze what we know about the Constitution's preamble:
1. Determine how to keep the United States peaceful: The preamble does not specifically address how to keep the United States peaceful. While peace and tranquility are desirable goals, they are not explicitly stated as one of the purposes of the preamble.
2. Introduce each of the 27 amendments: The preamble is not responsible for introducing the individual amendments to the Constitution. Amendments are separate provisions that are added or modified after the initial drafting of the Constitution.
3. Outline the six goals for the country: The preamble to the Constitution explicitly outlines the six goals or purposes for the creation of the government. These goals are stated as "to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity."
4. Explain the reasons behind the Bill of Rights: While the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution shortly after its ratification, the preamble does not specifically explain the reasons behind the Bill of Rights. The preamble serves as an introduction to the Constitution as a whole, not providing detailed explanations of each subsequent amendment.
Therefore, the correct answer is that one of the two primary purposes of the Constitution's preamble was to outline the six goals for the country.