. ▁Its ▁first ▁three ▁articles ▁em body ▁the ▁doctrine ▁of ▁the ▁separation ▁of ▁powers , ▁where by ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁is ▁divided ▁into ▁three ▁branches : ▁the ▁legisl ative , ▁consisting ▁of ▁the ▁b ic amer al ▁Congress ▁( Art icle ▁One ); ▁the ▁executive , ▁consisting ▁of ▁the ▁president ▁ ▁( Art icle ▁Two ); ▁and ▁the ▁jud icial , ▁consisting ▁of ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁and ▁other ▁federal ▁courts ▁ ▁( Art icle ▁Three ). ▁Articles ▁Four , ▁Five ▁and ▁Six ▁em body ▁concepts ▁of ▁federal ism , ▁describing ▁the ▁rights ▁and ▁respons ib ilities ▁of ▁state ▁govern ments , ▁the ▁states ▁in ▁relationship ▁to ▁the ▁federal ▁government , ▁and ▁the ▁shared ▁process ▁of ▁constitution al ▁am end ment . ▁Article ▁Seven ▁establish es ▁the ▁procedure ▁subsequently ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁th ir teen ▁States ▁to ▁rat ify ▁it . ▁It ▁is ▁regarded ▁as ▁the ▁oldest ▁written ▁and ▁cod ified ▁national ▁constitution ▁in ▁force . ▁ ▁Since ▁the ▁Constitution ▁came ▁into ▁force ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 9 , ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁am ended ▁ 2 7 ▁times , ▁including ▁one ▁am end ment ▁that ▁repe aled ▁a ▁previous ▁one , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁meet ▁the ▁needs ▁of ▁a ▁nation ▁that ▁has ▁prof ound ly ▁changed ▁since ▁the ▁eigh teenth ▁century . ▁In ▁general , ▁the ▁first ▁ten ▁am end ments , ▁known ▁collect ively ▁as ▁the ▁Bill ▁of ▁Rights , ▁offer ▁specific ▁prote ctions ▁of ▁individual ▁liberty ▁and ▁justice ▁and ▁place ▁restrictions ▁on ▁the ▁powers ▁of ▁government . ▁The ▁majority ▁of ▁the