What is the main purpose of the U.S. Constitution?

• A. To expand federal power at the expense of states.
• B. To establish the framework of the national government and protect individual rights.
• C. To regulate interstate commerce exclusively.
• D. To determine election dates.

Answer: (B)

The main purpose is to create a framework for how the national government is organized and how it operates, while also protecting the rights of individuals. The Constitution lays out three branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—and gives each branch its own powers and ways to check the others. This system of checks and balances keeps any one part from becoming overly powerful. It also establishes how power is shared between the national government and the states (federalism), with limited powers delegated to the national level and reserved powers kept by the states.

A big part of this framework is the protection of individual rights, beginning with the Bill of Rights and extended through later amendments. These protections limit what the government can do to people, ensuring basic freedoms and due process.

So, the Constitution isn’t mainly about expanding federal power at the expense of states, nor is it solely about regulating interstate commerce, and it isn’t primarily about choosing election dates. Its enduring purpose is to build a stable government structure, define its powers, balance those powers with state authority, and safeguard the rights of citizens.