Founding documents

The two constitutions are the top two layers of law that every Williams rule must fit under. Full texts are copied from official government sources; summaries are unofficial and in plain language.

• Federal · Layer 1

  U.S. Constitution and all 27 amendments

  Full text, with links to every article, section and amendment, a search box, and unofficial summaries.

  Official source: National Archives transcriptions Verified1,2,3; also the Constitution Annotated Unverified4

• State · Layer 2

  California Constitution

  Full text, one page per article, searchable, with unofficial summaries for key articles.

  Official source: California State Senate 2025-26 publication (as amended through Nov 5, 2024) Verified5; also leginfo Verified6

Guides to the Brown Act and the Public Records Act are under Take part.

Good places to start

• U.S. Constitution, Article VI (federal law is supreme) and the Fourteenth Amendment (due process, equal protection).
• California Constitution, Article I (rights) and Article XI, §7 (city ordinances may not conflict with general laws).

How to read these pages

• Use the Contents list, the search box, or your browser's find (Ctrl+F / "Find on page").
• Every article and section has its own link, so you can share an exact spot.
• The California text was extracted automatically from the official PDF. If anything looks wrong, the official PDF controls; please report it.
• For a plain-language guide to what these texts mean for Williams, see Constitutions.

Sources cited on this page

1. The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription (U.S. National Archives; official; accessed 2026-10-17) ↗
2. The Bill of Rights: A Transcription (U.S. National Archives; official; accessed 2026-10-17) ↗
3. The Constitution: Amendments 11-27 (U.S. National Archives; official; accessed 2026-10-17) ↗
4. Constitution Annotated (Library of Congress / Congress.gov; official; accessed 2026-10-17) Blocked automated retrieval; link only. ↗
5. Constitutions of California and the United States, 2025-26 edition (PDF) (California State Senate; official; accessed 2026-10-17) California Constitution as last amended November 5, 2024. ↗
6. California Constitution (official, by article) (California Legislative Information; official; accessed 2026-10-29) Official table of contents of the California Constitution, by article; opened directly on Oct 29, 2026. ↗