“Stop throwing the Constitution in my face. It’s just a god-damn piece of paper!”Sadly, these were the words of former president George W. Bush, uttered in a 2004 meeting with congressional republican leaders.Unfortunately in today’s political climate, these words ring with resounding apposition in regards to the application of our constitutional principles. Many Americans, it seems, have acquired an alarming dispassion for the wisdom offered by our original doctrine.Only 54 percent of Americans know the purpose of the U.S. Constitution was to create a federal government and define its powers, according to surveys conducted by Hearst Reports. Going further, 26 percent believe the documents purpose was to declare independence from England. Only 40 percent know the Bill of Rights is comprised of the first 10 amendments to the original Constitution.These statistics, discomforting as they are, don’t reflect the facile depth of knowledge of many elected officials in Washington, D.C.Many officials have abandoned the liberties this nation was founded on. The congressional approval rating currently sits around 20 percent, according to Real Clear Politics. A big part of this can be linked to irrational diplomacy and abrasive action, as our leaders stray further away from our founding doctrine.But this collapse isn’t entirely their fault   — it’s also ours.Constitutional law allows anyone to make his or her voice heard. But words are useless if that passion isn’t backed by a practical understanding of what our founding doctrine provides.While our representatives should be held accountable, we, too, should be judged by the standard of our constitutional cognition. Passing the blame to leaders we’ve levied authority does not ameliorate our guilt. In a country where the people are given so much sovereignty, having a solid grasp on our principles is vital.Two hundred and twenty two years removed from its inception, it’s time Americans looked back and analyzed the doctrine this democracy was built on.Dr. James Stoner, political science professor, has taught Constitutional law and political theory at the University for more than 20 years. “[Constitutional philosophy] isn’t going to last unless the younger generation eventually understands it and understands its value,” Stoner said.”I think that people have a general respect for the constitution,” Stoner continued. “But there’s a great differential between how much people know about it. In terms of knowledge of the institutions, I think, as with so many things today, people have a lot of fragments but almost nobody’s really been told that it all fits together.”Many problems our country grapples with stem from this diluted, fragmented view of our constitution. But to diagnose this error Americans must grasp how the constitution functions as a holistic unit, uniting its citizens with the basic framework for political life.”(The constitution) is the foundation for our system of government and our law; and it structures political life in such a way that the constitution is what the parties agree on, whatever else they might disagree on,” Stoner said.Yet decades removed from its inception and ratification, many Americans neglect the importance and continuality it offers. Younger generations must realize precisely how vital these principles hold today and work vigorously to ensure our representatives stick to the timeless values we consent. For the magic of the Constitution is that, even today, its principles hold as true as they did generations ago.”I do think the constitution is a living thing,” Stoner notes. “Not in the sense that its meaning morphs and changes over time – but in the sense that it really does energize our lives and bring order to our activity. And only a living thing — something that is made living —   can do that. It’s a living thing, but not necessarily a mortal thing. It’s mortal only if we forget it.”There are many ways students can learn about the constitution here on campus. Courses like Political Science 2051 give students a chance to learn the basic framework of our constitutional government. Other courses, like Political Science 2053 and 2060, offer students a chance to study comparative governments and the origins of political theory.It’s sad to see the foundational values of our country distorted into such a hapless, abysmal condition. That’s why the time to act is now.It’s our civic responsibility, as young Americans, to understand our constitutional rights so that “We The People” can hold our government accountable for their actions. This accountability, it seems, has been lacking for quite some time. If order is to be restored in Washington, D.C., it must begin with the people.As a nation built “by the people for the people,” it is the peoples responsibility to rebuild this country on its universal principles.America’s future is a blank canvas. What sort of picture will we paint?