er ▁era . ▁ ▁The ▁state ' s ▁first ▁constitution ▁is ▁similar ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁state ▁constitution s ▁written ▁around ▁the ▁same ▁time . ▁Because ▁Ohio ▁and ▁Kentucky ▁were ▁the ▁new est ▁states ▁closest ▁to ▁Indiana , ▁the ▁deleg ates ▁to ▁the ▁Indiana ▁constitution al ▁convention ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁constitution s ▁of ▁these ▁two ▁states , ▁along ▁with ▁others ▁such ▁as ▁Pennsylvania , ▁New ▁Ham pshire , ▁and ▁Tennessee , ▁for ▁ideas ▁and ▁concepts ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁specific ▁text . ▁Content ▁from ▁the ▁other ▁state ▁constitution s ▁was ▁chosen ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁Indiana ▁deleg ates ' ▁prefer ences ▁for ▁their ▁new ▁state . ▁Occ asion ally , ▁original ▁text ▁was ▁composed ▁for ▁specific ▁articles ▁or ▁sections ▁when ▁the ▁appropriate ▁word ing ▁in ▁other ▁state ▁constitution s ▁was ▁not ▁sufficient . ▁The ▁deleg ates ' ▁se lections ▁resulted ▁in ▁Indiana ' s ▁legisl ative ▁branch ▁being ▁dominant ▁over ▁the ▁executive ▁and ▁jud icial ▁branches ▁of ▁state ▁government . ▁ ▁The ▁Indiana ▁deleg ates ▁organized ▁a ▁republic an ▁form ▁of ▁government ▁and ▁created ▁a ▁state ▁constitution ▁that ▁out lined ▁a ▁basic ▁framework ▁for ▁government al ▁functions . ▁Instead ▁of ▁providing ▁specific ▁details ▁on ▁individual ▁issues , ▁the ▁constitution ' s ▁broad ly - defined ▁principles ▁enabled ▁the ▁state ▁government ▁to ▁function ▁as ▁a ▁lo os ely ▁bound ▁unit . ▁" The ▁People " ▁were ▁explicitly ▁noted ▁as ▁being ▁the ▁so ver eign s ▁of ▁the ▁state . ▁ ▁The ▁pre am ble ▁out lined ▁Indiana ' s ▁rights ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁Union ▁"