Tanzania Constitution

The Development of the Constitution
By J.W. Peltason

James Madison declared, “In framing a system which we wish to last for ages, we should not lose sight of the changes which ages will produce.” The Constitution was designed to serve the interests of the people – rich and poor, Northerners and Southerners, farmers, workers, and business people. Through the years, the Constitution has been interpreted to meet the changing needs of the United States.

Delegates to the Constitutional Convention believed strongly in the rule of the majority, but they wanted to protect minorities against any unjustness by the majority. They achieved this goal by separating and balancing the powers of the national government. Other basic constitutional aims included respect for the rights of individuals and states, rule by the people, separation of church and state, and supremacy of the national government.