Seven Articles

After the Preamble, the original Constitution is seven articles. Articles I, II, and III create the legislative, executive, and judicial branches — in that order. Congress comes first because the framers expected lawmaking, not the presidency, to be the center of republican government.

Article I is the longest. It splits Congress into a Senate and a House, lists enumerated powers (tax, spend, regulate commerce, declare war), and — just as important — implies that powers not listed are not granted. Article II vests executive power in a single President. Article III vests judicial power in one Supreme Court and such inferior courts as Congress creates.

The remaining articles do the unglamorous work of a union: full faith and credit among states (IV), how to amend (V), the Constitution as supreme law (VI), and ratification (VII). Article VI’s supremacy clause is why a valid federal statute outranks a conflicting state law.