Constitution
The significance of a constitution is how it defines the essence of a country and then from that single document how other ideas and variety of laws and interactions are then determined. The first 10 amendments of the U.S. constitution set the precedent to limit the government's interference with those of individual citizens and are still frequently referenced today. Also, it helped define the three branches of government, the executive, judicial and legislative and the interdependent system of "checks and balances."