Constitutional Reflection Paper
100 points
“We the People of the United States, in Order 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, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the
United States of America.”
–Preamble to the Constitution of the United States
For this assignment, you will select one section/ idea from the Preamble of the United States’ Constitution
that either speaks to you or that you find to be the most important, and then reflect it. Further, you must
relate whatever section/idea of the preamble you choose to one (or more) of the twenty-seven
amendment(s). (Though honestly, you should only focus on one amendment, because any more than that
will be a tad difficult.)
Again, as all papers in this class have been, it should be done using MLA format , and must be between 3
to 4 pages long. This page limit does not count your attached Work Cited page, where you will have not
one, not two, but three cited sources.
● Your first source will be from the Constitution , and I expect you all to quote it directly in your
papers. (This should probably go without saying, since after all, this a reflection on the U.S.
Constitution, but hey, it helps to be clear.)
● Second , I suggest citing the National Constitution Center ’s website, as it provides scholarly
articles, and various interpretations of the Constitution’s different sections. (Any article chosen
from NCC’s website will count as a reliable source.)
● Finally, the third source must from either a government, academic or reputable organization’s
website. So, that would also include citing like a major newspaper or magazine, or anything from
the Madonna databases.
Your essay should contain answers to the following questions. Further, the answer you create will become
the main ideas for your essay’s body paragraphs.
● How do you interpret the meaning of your section/idea of the Preamble? (Translate it into simpler
language and express its meaning in more depth and detail. Paraphrases it into your own words.)
● Why is this section/idea important to Americans? To American democracy? How does it line up
with what you believe the country values?
● What amendment supports this section/idea and how does it support this section/idea?
● Why does this section/idea speak to you and/or why do you consider it the most important?
● What current event (within the last 5 years) either supports or violates the section/idea you
selected? And, of course how does it either support or violate the section/ideal? (You might
consider some recent controversial issues/laws in the United States. Supreme Court cases and
other lawsuits may apply)
o For example, despite the 15th
Amendment, there have been attempts in the past and present
to prevent people from voting based on race, class, age, and other factors. This would be a
violation of the ideal of “secur[ing] the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our
posterity,” as it is denying a basic right and blessing of liberty to some citizens of the
United States.
When it comes to your thesis, (which you will have to have) do NOT write, “I think this section of the
Preamble is the most important because___________.” You can (and should) use first person in this
paper, but your thesis must be constructed without using “I.” Remember, the thesis is an argument that
you declare. It should make clear your stance, make clear what section you are writing about, and make
clear why (in arguable terms) this section is important. An example would be, “Secur[ing] the Blessings
of Liberty serves as the most important guiding principle for the United States, one that needs to be
upheld now, more than ever in an increasingly divided America to ensure all citizens equally receive the
benefits the Constitution has promised them.” And, from there, you would go on to argue just how and
why “Secur[ing] the Blessings of Liberty” is the most important guiding principle of the United States.
You will be graded on the following elements:
● An introduction that captures the reader’s attention
● A thesis statement that clearly identifies the section and shows why it matters
● Topic sentences that clearly explain the content of each paragraph and how it relates back to the thesis
● Body paragraphs that address all of the above questions
● Proper use of sources, as well as the quality of your sources
● MLA Format
● A conclusion that wraps up your reflection of the Constitution
● The overall quality of your reflection (we want to hear your thoughts, don’t give me something
superficial, that you are puppeting from somewhere else. Nothing could be more bland.)
100 points
“We the People of the United States, in Order 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, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the
United States of America.”
–Preamble to the Constitution of the United States
For this assignment, you will select one section/ idea from the Preamble of the United States’ Constitution
that either speaks to you or that you find to be the most important, and then reflect it. Further, you must
relate whatever section/idea of the preamble you choose to one (or more) of the twenty-seven
amendment(s). (Though honestly, you should only focus on one amendment, because any more than that
will be a tad difficult.)
Again, as all papers in this class have been, it should be done using MLA format , and must be between 3
to 4 pages long. This page limit does not count your attached Work Cited page, where you will have not
one, not two, but three cited sources.
● Your first source will be from the Constitution , and I expect you all to quote it directly in your
papers. (This should probably go without saying, since after all, this a reflection on the U.S.
Constitution, but hey, it helps to be clear.)
● Second , I suggest citing the National Constitution Center ’s website, as it provides scholarly
articles, and various interpretations of the Constitution’s different sections. (Any article chosen
from NCC’s website will count as a reliable source.)
● Finally, the third source must from either a government, academic or reputable organization’s
website. So, that would also include citing like a major newspaper or magazine, or anything from
the Madonna databases.
Your essay should contain answers to the following questions. Further, the answer you create will become
the main ideas for your essay’s body paragraphs.
● How do you interpret the meaning of your section/idea of the Preamble? (Translate it into simpler
language and express its meaning in more depth and detail. Paraphrases it into your own words.)
● Why is this section/idea important to Americans? To American democracy? How does it line up
with what you believe the country values?
● What amendment supports this section/idea and how does it support this section/idea?
● Why does this section/idea speak to you and/or why do you consider it the most important?
● What current event (within the last 5 years) either supports or violates the section/idea you
selected? And, of course how does it either support or violate the section/ideal? (You might
consider some recent controversial issues/laws in the United States. Supreme Court cases and
other lawsuits may apply)
o For example, despite the 15th
Amendment, there have been attempts in the past and present
to prevent people from voting based on race, class, age, and other factors. This would be a
violation of the ideal of “secur[ing] the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our
posterity,” as it is denying a basic right and blessing of liberty to some citizens of the
United States.
When it comes to your thesis, (which you will have to have) do NOT write, “I think this section of the
Preamble is the most important because___________.” You can (and should) use first person in this
paper, but your thesis must be constructed without using “I.” Remember, the thesis is an argument that
you declare. It should make clear your stance, make clear what section you are writing about, and make
clear why (in arguable terms) this section is important. An example would be, “Secur[ing] the Blessings
of Liberty serves as the most important guiding principle for the United States, one that needs to be
upheld now, more than ever in an increasingly divided America to ensure all citizens equally receive the
benefits the Constitution has promised them.” And, from there, you would go on to argue just how and
why “Secur[ing] the Blessings of Liberty” is the most important guiding principle of the United States.
You will be graded on the following elements:
● An introduction that captures the reader’s attention
● A thesis statement that clearly identifies the section and shows why it matters
● Topic sentences that clearly explain the content of each paragraph and how it relates back to the thesis
● Body paragraphs that address all of the above questions
● Proper use of sources, as well as the quality of your sources
● MLA Format
● A conclusion that wraps up your reflection of the Constitution
● The overall quality of your reflection (we want to hear your thoughts, don’t give me something
superficial, that you are puppeting from somewhere else. Nothing could be more bland.)