What are the three new words in the Preamble?

Asked by: Asa Brakus PhD  |  Last update: February 9, 2026
Score: 4.3/5 (32 votes)

The three words added to the Preamble of the Indian Constitution by the 42nd Amendment Act in 1976 are Socialist, Secular, and Integrity, transforming India's description from a "Sovereign Democratic Republic" to a "Sovereign, Socialist Secular Democratic Republic," and adding "integrity" to "unity of the nation".

What are the three words of the preamble?

Its first three words – “We The People” – affirm that the government of the United States exists to serve its citizens. The supremacy of the people through their elected representatives is recognized in Article I, which creates a Congress consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives.

What are the three new words added to the preamble?

It has been amended by the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 which added three new words – Socialist, Secular, and Integrity.

What three words begin the preamble?

"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 ...

What does "establish justice" mean?

When the framers included the phrase “establish justice,” they were emphasizing the importance of creating a system of fairness and equity for the new nation.

What does the Preamble actually mean? Ace your Civics test with this review!

26 related questions found

Did the founding fathers put God in the Constitution?

No, the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly mention God or a supreme being in its main text, a deliberate choice by the Founding Fathers to establish a secular government and protect religious freedom, though it does contain a date reference ("Year of our Lord") and the First Amendment prevents religious tests for office, reflecting a consensus on separation of church and state despite their personal faith. 

What is the highest law in our country?

The Constitution is the supreme law of the land. All laws in the United States need to follow the Constitution.

Why are the first three words to the preamble so important?

First, it is created by “We the People.” It is the people who are sovereign. This makes clear that the United States is to be a democracy, not a monarchy or a theocracy or a totalitarian government that were the dominant forms of government throughout world history. Early in American history, in McCulloch v.

Can a president change the Constitution?

The Constitution does not give a president the power to violate the Constitution, create or change congressional statutes, or override U.S. Supreme Court decisions—no matter what the EOs say.

What are the three words of self-government?

The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the U.S. Constitution: "We the People," establishing that government authority comes from the citizens, who then elect representatives to make laws, forming a constitutional republic where power rests with the people, a core concept of American democracy and popular sovereignty. 

Which were the new words added to the Constitution in 1976?

Insertion of the words Socialist and Secular:

The words "Socialist" and "Secular" were added to the Preamble through the Constitution (42nd Amendment) Act, 1976, during the period of Emergency under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's government.

What is the 97th amendment all about?

India's 97th Constitutional Amendment (2011) granted constitutional status and protection to cooperative societies, aiming to ensure their democratic, autonomous, and professional functioning by adding Part IX-B and Article 43B, making the right to form cooperatives a fundamental right and promoting better governance, timely elections, and financial transparency.
 

Are there 27 or 33 amendments?

There are 27 ratified amendments to the U.S. Constitution, not 33; however, Congress has proposed 33 amendments, with 27 successfully ratified by the states, including the first ten known as the Bill of Rights. The confusion arises because while only 27 are official, there have been other attempts or proposed changes that didn't pass, leading to lists that might include unratified ones. 

What are the three words added in preamble?

The words Socialist Secular Unity and Integrity of the Nation were added to the Preamble by the 42nd Constitution Amendment Act of 1976.

Did Thomas Jefferson say all men are created equal?

Thomas Jefferson's famous phrase "all men are created equal" from the Declaration of Independence asserts that all people have inherent, equal rights to life, liberty, and happiness, forming the basis for self-government, though Jefferson himself, a slave owner, didn't apply this to everyone, creating a profound contradiction that fueled American debates over equality for enslaved people, women, and others for centuries. The phrase evolved from a declaration of political equality for the colonies to a universal ideal of individual rights, challenging existing hierarchies.
 

What happens if someone violates the Constitution?

This will typically be in the form of a lawsuit against the party that violated your constitutional rights. Generally, that would include the police officer who arrested you, though there are other players in your situation who could be liable.

What are 5 things the President can't do?

The U.S. President cannot make laws, declare war, decide how federal money is spent, interpret laws, or appoint key officials like Cabinet members or Supreme Court Justices without Senate approval, highlighting constitutional limits on executive power through checks and balances with Congress. 

Who can overrule the Constitution?

When the Supreme Court rules on a constitutional issue, that judgment is virtually final; its decisions can be altered only by the rarely used procedure of constitutional amendment or by a new ruling of the Court. However, when the Court interprets a statute, new legislative action can be taken.

What is the 42 and 44 amendment Act?

The 42nd Amendment (1976) significantly centralized power and restricted rights during India's Emergency, while the 44th Amendment (1978) was enacted to undo many of those changes, restore democratic safeguards, limit executive authority, and strengthen Fundamental Rights, like changing "internal disturbance" to "armed rebellion" for emergencies and making the President's advice binding only after one reconsideration. 

Who wrote the US Constitution?

James Madison, the principal author of the Constitution, knew that grave doubts would be cast on the Constitution if those states (the home states of several of its chief architects, including Madison himself) did not adopt it.

Do we the people mean self-government?

Instead, the people of the United States govern themselves. The people of the United States govern themselves by electing representatives who serve in the local, state, and U.S. governments. The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. These words are, “We the people”.

What does the 14th Amendment say?

The 14th Amendment defines U.S. citizenship (birthright citizenship), guarantees all citizens "equal protection of the laws," and ensures states can't deprive anyone of "life, liberty, or property, without due process of law," incorporating fundamental rights against states, and also disqualifies rebels from office. It was crucial for civil rights, extending federal protections to formerly enslaved people and ensuring equality under the law. 

Who is the most powerful law in the world?

The 7 Most Famous Laws in the World:

  • Murphy Law.
  • Kidlin Law.
  • Gilbert Law.
  • Wilson Law.
  • Falkland Law.
  • Parkinson's Law.
  • Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule)

Can the president fire the chief justice?

The Constitution states that Justices "shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour." This means that the Justices hold office as long as they choose and can only be removed from office by impeachment.

What is the oldest U.S. law still in effect?

An Act to regulate the Time and Manner of administering certain Oaths was the first law passed by the United States Congress after the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. It was signed by President George Washington on June 1, 1789, and parts of it remain in effect to this day.