What opening phrase begins the Preamble to the United States Constitution?
Answer
We the People
The opening phrase of the Preamble to the United States Constitution is “We the People.”
The Preamble is the Constitution’s introductory statement. It presents the document as an act of popular self-government and lists broad purposes for the new federal system, including forming a more perfect union, establishing justice, and securing the blessings of liberty.
The phrase was finalized during the 1787 Constitutional Convention by the Committee of Style, led by Gouverneur Morris. An earlier draft began by listing the states individually, but “We the People” placed the people of the United States, rather than the states alone, at the source of governmental authority.
A common mix-up is treating the Preamble as one of the Constitution’s seven articles. It is not an article and does not itself grant specific powers; instead, it introduces the Constitution’s aims. The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and took effect in 1789 after ratification by the required states.