Preamble frames federal power and constitutional purposes

The Preamble lists six explicit purposes: form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty. These goals guide interpretation of the Constitution's operative clauses.

GMGouverneur Morris led the Committee of Style and drafted the Preamble's final wording. He changed 'We the People of the States' to 'We the People of the United States,' advancing his nationalist vision for a stronger federal government.

Convention delegates signed the final Constitution on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. 🍁New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify on June 21, 1788, making the document effective among the states.

The Supreme Court has made clear for over a century that the Preamble doesn't confer enforceable powers or private rights. Real power must come from the Constitution's operative clauses. Courts may cite the Preamble when interpreting ambiguous provisions, but no court has used it as a decisive factor.

In Chisholm v. 🍑Georgia (1793), Justice JWJames Wilson and CJChief Justice John Jay relied on the Preamble to support jurisdiction over Georgia. Jay cited 'We the People' and 'establish Justice' to conclude federal courts could hear cases between states and citizens of other states.

Morris was a nationalist champion of powerful federal government. In 1802, Senator Morris argued the Preamble barred Jefferson's attempt to eliminate federal appeals courts. Federalists argued the Preamble combined with the Necessary and Proper Clause made the Bank of the United States constitutional.

The phrase 'promote the general Welfare' in the Preamble doesn't by itself authorize unlimited federal spending. The Supreme Court in Helvering v. Davis (1937) affirmed Congress's spending discretion but ruled the Preamble alone isn't a grant of power. Legal scholars treat spending power as constrained by text and precedent.