What does the Constitution primarily do?

The Constitution primarily serves to protect individual rights and establish the framework for government operations. It outlines the structure of the federal government, dividing power among the three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. This organization ensures a system of checks and balances, preventing any one branch from becoming too powerful. Additionally, the Bill of Rights, which is part of the Constitution, explicitly safeguards certain fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals against government infringement.

Other options do not capture the primary purpose of the Constitution. Establishing a monarchy contradicts democratic principles, as the Constitution was designed to promote a republic where officials are elected by the people. Declaring war is a function of government defined by the Constitution, but it is not its primary purpose. Similarly, while the Constitution allows states to enact their own laws, it does not primarily list laws for individual states; rather, it highlights the relationship between the federal system and state governance.