▁by ▁night ▁at ▁the ▁National ▁Archives ▁Building . ▁ ▁The ▁idea ▁of ▁displaying ▁the ▁documents ▁struck ▁one ▁academic ▁critic ▁looking ▁from ▁the ▁point ▁of ▁view ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 7 7 6 ▁or ▁ 1 7 8 9 ▁America ▁as ▁" id ol atr ous , ▁and ▁also ▁curious ly ▁at ▁odd s ▁with ▁the ▁values ▁of ▁the ▁Revolution ". ▁By ▁ 1 8 1 6 , ▁Jefferson ▁wrote ▁that ▁"[ s ] ome ▁men ▁look ▁at ▁constitution s ▁with ▁san ct imon ious ▁rever ence ▁and ▁de em ▁them ▁like ▁the ▁Ark ▁of ▁the ▁C oven ant , ▁too ▁sacred ▁to ▁be ▁touched ". ▁But ▁he ▁saw ▁imper fe ctions ▁and ▁imag ined ▁that ▁there ▁could ▁potentially ▁be ▁others , ▁bel ieving ▁as ▁he ▁did ▁that ▁" inst itution s ▁must ▁advance ▁also ". ▁ ▁Some ▁comment ators ▁dep ict ▁the ▁multi - eth nic , ▁multi - sect arian ▁United ▁States ▁as ▁held ▁together ▁by ▁a ▁political ▁orth odox y , ▁in ▁contrast ▁with ▁a ▁nation ▁state ▁of ▁people ▁having ▁more ▁" natural " ▁t ies . ▁ ▁World wide ▁influence ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁Constitution ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁notable ▁model ▁for ▁govern ance ▁around ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁Its ▁international ▁influence ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁similar ities ▁of ▁phr asing ▁and ▁borrow ed ▁pass ages ▁in ▁other ▁constitution s , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁in ▁the ▁principles ▁of ▁the ▁rule ▁of ▁law , ▁separation ▁of ▁powers ▁and ▁recognition ▁of ▁individual ▁rights . ▁ ▁The ▁American ▁experience ▁of ▁fundamental ▁law ▁with ▁am end