Final answer:
The U.S. Constitution consists of a Preamble, Seven Articles, and 27 Amendments designed to establish a federal government with a system of checks and balances. It was influenced by the Enlightenment, the Great Compromise, and earlier governmental concepts as it replaced the failing Articles of Confederation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The U.S. Constitution originated from the need to create a functional national government to replace the ineffective Articles of Confederation. This groundbreaking document, drafted in 1787 by delegates in Philadelphia, is the oldest written constitution still in use. It comprises a concise preamble that outlines the objectives of the government. The document's Seven Articles define the three branches of government and their responsibilities: the legislative branch (Article I), the executive branch (Article II), and the judicial branch (Article III). Articles IV-VII cover federalism, the amendment process, federal supremacy, and the ratification process, respectively. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were added shortly after the Constitution's ratification, and the document has been amended only 27 times in over 200 years, signifying its resilience and foresight. The drafting of the Constitution also involved compromises, including the Great Compromise, which balanced the interests of states with large and small populations.
Texts like Montesquieu's works on the separation of powers and Rousseau's on political philosophy, along with the lessons learned from Shays' Rebellion and the Enlightenment, influenced the Constitution. These influences are reflected in the document's commitment to democracy, separation of powers, and the protection of individual liberties.