Reading 1—You are responsible to read and evaluate these preambles. Answer the relevant
questions on your answer sheet, then explain your analysis to your group partners.
United States of America
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice,
insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare,
and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United States of America.
The United Kingdom and Northern Ireland
The European Union
DRAWING INSPIRATION from the cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe, from
which have developed the universal values of the inviolable and inalienable rights of the
human person, freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of law,
BELIEVING that Europe, reunited after bitter experiences, intends to continue along the path of
civilisation, progress and prosperity, for the good of all its inhabitants, including the weakest
and most deprived; that it wishes to remain a continent open to culture, learning and social
progress; and that it wishes to deepen the democratic and transparent nature of its public life,
and to strive for peace, justice and solidarity throughout the world….
Reading 2—You are responsible to read and evaluate these preambles. Answer the relevant
questions on your answer sheet, then explain your analysis to your group partners.
United States of America
We the People of the United States, in Order to 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 to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United States of America.
People’s Republic of China, 1982
China is one of the countries with the longest histories in the world. …After waging hard,
protracted and tortuous struggles, armed and otherwise, the Chinese people of all nationalities
led by the Communist Party of China with Chairman Mao Zedong as its leader ultimately, in
1949, overthrew the rule of imperialism, feudalism and bureaucrat capitalism, won the great
victory of the new-democratic revolution and founded the People's Republic of China.
Thereupon the Chinese people took state power into their own hands and became masters of
the country.
…
Both the victory of China's new-democratic revolution and the successes of its socialist cause
have been achieved by the Chinese people of all nationalities under the leadership of the
Communist Party of China and the guidance of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought,
and by upholding truth, correcting errors and overcoming numerous difficulties and hardships.
The basic task of the nation in the years to come is to concentrate its effort on socialist
modernization. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the guidance of
Marxism- Leninism and Mao ZedongThought, the Chinese people of all nationalities will
continue to adhere to the people's democratic dictatorship and follow the socialist road,
steadily improve socialist institutions, develop socialist democracy, improve the socialist legal
system and work hard and self-reliantly to modernize industry, agriculture, national defence
and science and technology step by step to turn China into a socialist country with a high level
of culture and democracy.
….
Reading 3—You are responsible to read and evaluate these preambles. Answer the relevant
questions on your answer sheet, then explain your analysis to your group partners.
United States of America
We the People of the United States, in Order to 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 to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United States of America.
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (N. Korea)
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is a socialist fatherland of Juche which embodies the
idea of and guidance by the great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung.
The great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung is the founder of the DPRK and the socialist Korea.
Comrade Kim Il Sung founded the immortal Juche idea, organized and guided an anti-Japanese
revolutionary struggle under its banner, created revolutionary tradition, attained the historical
cause of the national liberation, and founded the DPRK, built up a solid basis of construction of
a sovereign and independent state in the fields of politics, economy, culture and military, and
founded the DPRK.
Comrade Kim Il Sung put forward an independent revolutionary line, wisely guided the social
revolution and construction at various levels, strengthened and developed the Republic into a
people-centered socialist country and a socialist state of independence, self-sustenance, and
self-defense.
….
Reading 4—You are responsible to read and evaluate these preambles. Answer the relevant
questions on your answer sheet, then explain your analysis to your group partners.
United States of America
We the People of the United States, in Order to 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 to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United States of America.
Republic of Korea (South Korea)
We, the people of Korea, proud of a resplendent history and traditions dating from time
immemorial, upholding the cause of the Provisional Republic of Korea Government born of the
Independence Movement of 1 March 1919 and the democratic ideals of the uprising on 19 April
1960 against injustice, having assumed the mission of democratic reform and peaceful
unification of our homeland and having determined to consolidate national unity with Justice,
humanitarianism and brotherly love, and to destroy all social vices and injustice, and to afford
equal opportunities to every person and provide for the fullest development of individual
capabilities in all fields, including political, economic, social and cultural life by further
strengthening the basic free and democratic order conducive to private initiative and public
harmony, and to help each person discharge those duties and responsibilities concomitant to
freedoms and rights, and to elevate the quality of life for all citizens and contribute to lasting
world peace and the common prosperity of mankind and thereby to ensure security, liberty and
happiness for ourselves and our posterity forever, do hereby amend, through national
referendum following a resolution by the National Assembly, the Constitution, ordained and
established on 12 July 1948, and amended eight times subsequently.
Preamble Comparison Questions
1. What does a preamble before a constitution do? What is the purpose?
2. Describe some of the similarities and differences between the US preamble and the
European Union preamble. Do the value tensions show up in any way? Do the two
seem comparable?
(1)
3. Describe some of the similarities and differences between the US preamble and the
South Korean preamble. Do the value tensions show up in any way? Do the two seem
comparable?
(4)
4. Which preambles name specific people by name? Which people are mentioned?
5. What kinds of governments are reflected by these preambles… Rule of Law, or of Men?
(2&3)
6. What do you think Mao Zedong Thought (People’s Republic of China) is? Does it matter
that the preamble makes this reference?
(2)
7. What do you think it means for N. Korea, its constitution, and its people that Kim Il Sung
is specifically referred to as ‘the Great Leader’? Does it matter that the preamble makes
this reference?
(3)
8. Do you think it is important to NOT mention specific people by name? Explain.
9. Why doesn’t the US preamble speak of the Great Leader George Washington, or of
Thomas Jefferson Thought?