What does it mean to say that the United states is a nation built on laws?

Answer 1

On the model of the ancient Roman Republic, and improved so much more than the first Roman Republic, The United States Federal government and US State and local governments, are constructed with written laws that apply to all citizens. The British monarchy at the time of the English colonies in North America decisions regarding the rule of law were at times based on the decisions of King George and the monarchy system. These laws were not based on written laws that, as example that allowed English citizens in N.A. a voice in the making of laws or the election of officials in Great Britain. The British kingship was based on "royal family" descendants. Without a system of written laws arbitrary decisions can be made by whomever was in power and the ordinary citizen normally had no electorial process to select a leader to govern under a system of laws. To further the legitimacy of the written laws, the USA created an independent branch of government called the US Supreme Court to insure that all laws met the standards of all laws based on the written construction of the Government as ratified by the new American Republic and called the US Constitution.

This system of government was an earth shaking event as the major and minor countries of the world were based on some type of monarchy system.