The Articles of the Constitution A young girl holds up a
newspaper headline announcing Hawaii as a new state. The
articles of the Constitution set up the rules for how to become
a state. (Photo: Hawaii State Archives/AP Wide World) The main
body of the Constitution is made up of seven articles. The
Articles explain how the government works. They also carefully
describe the rules for electing government officials, like
Senators and the President. The Constitution is based on the
separation of powers. It divides power between the three
separate branches of the government. They are the legislative,
judicial, and executive branches. The role of the legislative
branch is discussed in Article I. The legislative branch
includes the House of Representatives and the Senate. Together
they are called Congress. Members of the House of
Representatives are often referred to as members of Congress,
but Senators are always called Senators. Rules for how the
President and the Vice President are elected are defined in
Article