The United States Constitution is the highest law of the United States of America. It is an inspired document that is the foundation of our government and our laws. Thursday, Sept. 17, is Constitution Day. In keeping with that day the following is a brief commentary on the Constitution and its history. The Constitution, signed on Sept. 17, 1787, and consisting originally of seven articles, describes the framework of our government. Its first three articles establish the doctrine of the separation of powers. The federal government is divided into three branches: the legislative, containing the two-house of Congress; the executive, consisting of the President; and the judicial, which is the Supreme Court and other federal courts. Articles Four, Five and Six describing the rights and responsibilities of federal and state governments. Article Seven establishes the procedure to ratify it. The Constitution has been amended 27 times. The first 10 amendments are known as the Bill of Rights; they offer protections of individual liberty and justice by placing restrictions on government. Other amendments are related to federal authority, modifying government procedures and expanding civil rights. With seven articles and 27 amendments, our constitution is the shortest written constitution in force today. All five pages of the original U.S. Constitution are written on parchment and are on display at the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C. The first of its kind, the Constitution of the United States has greatly influenced the constitutions of other nations.