The United States is one of the oldest constitutional democracies in the history of the world. Since 1789, the Constitution, while having glaring and tragic flaws, has provided a system of government to ensure necessary public functions while safeguarding individual liberties. We will explore the history and structure of the Constitution, the powers of and limitations on the three branches of the federal government, federalism (the relationship between the state and federal governments) and the constitutional protection of individual rights and liberties through the Bill of Rights.