# Does the fact that we (the US) have the oldest constitution in the world a good or bad thing?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-fact-that-we-the-us-have-the-oldest-constitution-in-the-world-a-good-or-bad-thing/547164>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [July 18, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-fact-that-we-the-us-have-the-oldest-constitution-in-the-world-a-good-or-bad-thing/547164 "2010-07-18T22:17:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 6

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-fact-that-we-the-us-have-the-oldest-constitution-in-the-world-a-good-or-bad-thing/547164/101 "2010-07-22T04:20:36Z")

</div>

> [@Chronos](#):
>
> If Britain doesn’t have a “real” constitution by virtue of it being easily changed, then what of California?

I think you might well ask whether California has a _real_ constitution. 😉

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-fact-that-we-the-us-have-the-oldest-constitution-in-the-world-a-good-or-bad-thing/547164/102 "2010-07-22T10:56:02Z")

</div>

> [@Chronos](#):
>
> If Britain doesn’t have a “real” constitution by virtue of it being easily changed, then what of California? The California constitution is arguably even _easier_ to change than their regular law, needing only a simple majority of voters with no involvement by legislators.

My point still stands that from the point of view of other countries the US’s Constitution is relatively easy to change. Using the same argument those countries could rightfully claim that the US does not have a constitution.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![APB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-fact-that-we-the-us-have-the-oldest-constitution-in-the-world-a-good-or-bad-thing/547164/103 "2010-07-22T11:17:56Z")

</div>

> [@Spoke](#):
>
> A search for terms doesn’t tell us much as we don’t know the context.

You didn’t do any of the searches, did you? Because if you had, you would have realised that book titles are an excellent way of knowing the context, because, unsurprisingly, their purpose was to indicate context.

But if you want to end the hijack, fine. Except to say that the _OED_ discusses the point in some detail and agrees with **Capt. Ridley’s Shooting Party** and myself.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-fact-that-we-the-us-have-the-oldest-constitution-in-the-world-a-good-or-bad-thing/547164.md?page=5)