Which document guarantees basic rights and outlines the structure of government in the United States?

Which document guarantees basic rights and outlines the structure of government in the United States?

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

Answer: (B)

The Constitution is the document that does both: it sets up the structure of the U.S. government, outlining three branches, how they interact, and the federal system with checks and balances; and it includes the Bill of Rights as the first ten amendments, which guarantee basic rights for individuals. The Magna Carta is an historical precursor that influenced ideas about rights but isn’t the framework for the U.S. government. The Articles of Confederation created a weak central government and didn’t provide a lasting structure or a comprehensive rights framework. So the Constitution best fits what the question describes.

The Constitution is the document that does both: it sets up the structure of the U.S. government, outlining three branches, how they interact, and the federal system with checks and balances; and it includes the Bill of Rights as the first ten amendments, which guarantee basic rights for individuals. The Magna Carta is an historical precursor that influenced ideas about rights but isn’t the framework for the U.S. government. The Articles of Confederation created a weak central government and didn’t provide a lasting structure or a comprehensive rights framework. So the Constitution best fits what the question describes.