01:55
Living Constitution, The: Tripartite Distribution of Powers
The Framers had no illusions that written words alone would restrain power. As a consequence they sought to check power with power by distributing the authority of government among three branches: executive, judicial, and legislative. The powers of ...
02:38
Vision for a Nation: Controlling Federal Power
Historian Bernard Bailyn characterizes the construction of the Constitution as "something of a miracle." Delegates to the Constitutional Convention create a system for governing the country's large geographic area while maintaining the ideals of ind...