Which document created the United States Government?

• A. The Declaration of Independence
• B. The Articles of Confederation
• C. The Constitution
• D. The Bill of Rights

Answer: (C)

The Constitution is the document that created the United States Government by establishing the framework, powers, and institutions of the federal government. It lays out three branches with separate powers, a system of checks and balances, and federalism that defines the relationship between the national and state governments. Written after the weaknesses of the earlier Articles of Confederation were exposed and ratified in 1788, it replaced that loose framework and provided a lasting structure for governance. The other documents served different roles: the Declaration of Independence announced the colonies’ separation and shared ideals; the Articles of Confederation created a weak central government and were eventually replaced by the Constitution; the Bill of Rights consists of the first ten amendments to protect individual rights and limit governmental power, not to establish the governing framework itself.