The Preamble to the United States Constitution begins with the phrase “We the People.”
The opening words establish the Constitution’s source of authority: the people of the United States. The Preamble then lists broad purposes for the new government, including forming a more perfect Union, establishing justice, ensuring domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense, promoting the general welfare, and securing liberty.
The Preamble is an introduction rather than a detailed grant of governmental powers. The operative rules appear in the Constitution’s seven articles and later amendments. Courts and scholars often discuss the Preamble as evidence of the document’s goals, but it does not independently create specific legal rights or powers.
The wording also marked a significant change from the Articles of Confederation, which described a league of states. “We the People” emphasized a national constitutional framework while retaining federalism. The phrase has since become one of the best-known expressions of popular government in American history.