Which document is the oldest and shortest written constitution still in use?

Which document is the oldest and shortest written constitution still in use?

• A. Magna Carta
• B. U.S. Constitution
• C. Articles of Confederation
• D. Bill of Rights

Answer: (B)

The question is about identifying a document that functions as a nation’s constitution and is still the legally binding framework today, while also being the oldest among those that meet that criteria. The United States Constitution fits this description. It was drafted in 1787 and became the law in 1789, making it the oldest written constitution still in effect. It’s considered relatively short because it lays out the basic structure of government—the three branches, their powers, and how they interact—while most of the detailed rules and protections have been added through amendments rather than expanding the original text. Magna Carta is much older, but it is not the current governing constitution of a modern state; it influenced later constitutional development rather than serving as today’s framework. The Articles of Confederation were an earlier governing plan that was abandoned and replaced by the Constitution. The Bill of Rights is a set of amendments to the Constitution, not a separate constitution itself, so it doesn’t stand as the oldest constitution in use.

The question is about identifying a document that functions as a nation’s constitution and is still the legally binding framework today, while also being the oldest among those that meet that criteria. The United States Constitution fits this description. It was drafted in 1787 and became the law in 1789, making it the oldest written constitution still in effect. It’s considered relatively short because it lays out the basic structure of government—the three branches, their powers, and how they interact—while most of the detailed rules and protections have been added through amendments rather than expanding the original text.

Magna Carta is much older, but it is not the current governing constitution of a modern state; it influenced later constitutional development rather than serving as today’s framework. The Articles of Confederation were an earlier governing plan that was abandoned and replaced by the Constitution. The Bill of Rights is a set of amendments to the Constitution, not a separate constitution itself, so it doesn’t stand as the oldest constitution in use.