Laws may pursue form over function. Case in point is the fact that some states even have adopted state cats (although an examination of state symbol law reveals that many states have adopted a litany of âstate symbols,â including dance, food, insect, and drink). For example, the official Maine cat is, of course, the Maine coon cat. 1 M.R.S.A. Â§ 217.
The Constitution of the United States established Americaâs national government and fundamental laws, and guaranteed certain basic rights for its citizens. It was signed on September 17, 1787, by delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.
The Constitution of the United States set up a Federal Republic system of government. A Federal system divides the power to govern between the national government and the state government. The U.S. Constitution gave states the power to set up their own governments and write their own constitutions. This arrangement let the national government exercise power over some issues and let the state government exercise power over other issues. This dividing of power is one of the basic characteristics of the U.S. Constitution.