Constituion

             Does one generation have the right to bind another? Thomas Jefferson pondered this question and said "The Constitution belongs to the living and not to the dead." The Constitution was able to endure for more than 200 years because Thomas Jefferson had an epiphany that some of the laws which governend his time could not govern the people of later generation due to change in circumstances. .
             The Constitution can be considered a "living" document because of recurring alteration and reexamination. This allowed Constitution to a set of laws that defined the goals of American government.
             The U.S. Constitution Article Five states that, "The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution." There are two ways to propose amendments and another two ways to ratify these amendments. In order to propose an amendment, two-thirds of both houses of Congress vote t propose an amendment or two-thirds of the sate legislatures ask Congress to call a national convention to propose amendments. For the ratification of an amendment, three-fourths of the state legislatures must approve it or three fourths of the ratifying convention of the states approve it. This constitutional provision supported Jefferson's statement. This enables that the Constitution guarantees and support American ideas of rights, defines governmental structures, allows for an increase in governmental growth, and permits the Supreme Court to shape and define public policy through Constitutional interpretation. .
             If it weren't for this Article, the basic rights of people in the form of the Bill of Rights would not exist such as freedom of religion, speech, press or assembly. The main purpose of implementing the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution was to safeguard fundamental individual rights against seizure by the federal government and prohibit interference with existing rights.