The U.S. Constitution isn’t neatly an ideology or a philosophy, but it’s closer to a framework rooted in philosophical principles. It’s a practical document designed to govern, blending ideas from Enlightenment thinkers like Locke and Montesquieu—think individual rights, separation of powers, and limited government. These lean toward a philosophy of governance, not a rigid ideology, which tends to be more dogmatic and all-encompassing, like Marxism or libertarianism.
The Constitution reflects values (liberty, justice, rule of law) but doesn’t dictate a single worldview. It’s flexible, allowing competing ideologies to coexist under its rules. You could call it a legal and political blueprint, grounded in pragmatic compromise, with philosophical underpinnings but no loyalty to any one “-ism.” It’s more about how to govern than what to believe.
