The Constitution is still relevant today because it establishes the governmental framework for the United States. The Constitution allows for three branches of government of equal power. Article I outlines the responsibilities for the legislative branch. The legislative branch passes the laws. Article II outlines the responsibilities for the executive branch. The executive branch executes the laws and heads the US military. Article III pertains to the judicial branch, the branch that interprets whether or not the laws fit within the Constitution's legal framework. The Constitution outlines the responsibilities of the federal government and without it government could act in any way that it wished.

The Constitution also provides for the basic liberties of all Americans. The first ten amendments are the Bill of Rights—these provide for such basic things such as freedom of speech and freedom of the press. The Constitution continues to evolve, thus evidenced by the fact that there are seventeen more amendments. These amendments have done such things such as given women the right to vote and ended slavery. The Constitution can also be changed if government makes a mistake, such as when Prohibition was repealed in 1933. The Constitution is a living document and it guarantees the rights and freedoms of Americans. It can also be amended to ensure rights for groups who were not explicitly included by the Founders.

The central purpose of the United States Constitution is to keep control of the government more democratic—in the hands of the people. It lays out the three branches of the government (judicial, legislative, and executive) and their roles. The Constitution is all about establishing checks and balances of government power, with the intent that the government never takes too much power at the expensive of the governed.

As mentioned in the previous answer, people often point to the Constitution to support their own political and social ideas as "constitutional," while they might argue certain other political and social ideas are "unconstitutional."

So, the Constitution remains very relevant. It is the basis for the US government as a whole, and its purpose is to protect the rights of the people.

The Constitution is still relevant today in two main ways.

First of all, the Constitution does still lay out the basic set of rules that governs how our country is run.   When the Supreme Court says that a particular law is unconstitutional, that law is no longer in force.  This can have very serious consequences.  For example, the most recent election cycle was impacted strongly by the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the First Amendment.  The Court’s decision in Citizens United allowed “Super PACs” to spend unlimited amounts of money promoting or opposing certain candidates.  In particular, this affected the Republican primaries in a major way.

Second, the Constitution is still relevant because it is a major source of legitimacy for people’s ideas.  Because we revere the Constitution, people are continually referring to it as a way to argue that their ideas are more compatible with basic American beliefs than those of their opponents.  For example, the Tea Party talks constantly about how certain things the government does go beyond the Constitution.  They use this claim to bolster their arguments for smaller government.  Gay rights advocates, by contrast, point to the Constitution as a foundation for their claim that they should be allowed to marry.

In these ways, the Constitution remains relevant both as a source of actual law and a foundation for political arguments. 

Constitution -- is it still relevant?Is the constitution still relevant today?

With Czars appointed and by-passes of Congress, the US Constitution is being ignored.  If the U.S. Constitution is no longer relevant, then these actions by those in power and any others can be made with impunity.  The purpose of the writing of the Constitution was to protect against dictatorship and usurping of power. Is this country not supposed to be a democratic republic?

As for the 2nd amendment, one may want to ask some of those who survived the chaos and anarchy of Katrina only because they had weapons to defend themselves how they feel.  By  the way, poster #13, the US Dept of Homeland Security is buying up ammunition for large automatic weapons. What are they worried about? Thomas Jefferson wanted Americans to be able to defend themselves against whatever was necessary such as government that became too oppressive; then, they would be able to overthrow this government.

Constitution -- is it still relevant?Is the constitution still relevant today?

I sympathize with discussion1984's post because any country, including our own, is steeped in bureaucratic obstacles, thus making it difficult to challenge the powers that be, whether that challenge is in support of, or objecting to, the constitution.

However, litteacher8 is correct that the Constitution's relevance (as the document of our national ideology) is based on the fact that it is a living document. Not to mention, you can see aspects of the Constitution every day. It has established precedents such as the right to vote for women and free speech. Granted, the United States might have come to embrace these obvious rights without a constitution. But, the fact that we have a document that legally backs these precedents gives the Constitution technical as well as ethical significance. The fact that it is a "living document" is important. Not only can we add to it, we can take previous amendments away; while successful, it is not complete - just as the country itself can theoretically always get better. It reflects that idea that country and constitution are works in progress.

Constitution -- is it still relevant?Is the constitution still relevant today?

The Constitution of the United States is the most important political document to the world because it is the first of its kind, it has withstood the test of time, and the logical balances between three distinct powers is revolutionary! My only fear is if Americans change it too much through amending it, we will lose its intended meaning or the true power of it eventually. I also fear that someone will draft another one in the future, eliminate its vital functions, and discard it altogether. I sure hope that doesn't happen.

Constitution -- is it still relevant?Is the constitution still relevant today?

One of the reasons the Constitution of the United States is still relevant is that it is a "living document" because it was written with the possibility of amendments, and because the courts are always re-interpreting it.  That way it can be written in the 18th century and still meaningful today.

Constitution -- is it still relevant?Is the constitution still relevant today?

The Constitution is still relevant today because we allow it to remain relevant.  We believe in the legitimacy of the Constitution; we honor it and feel it should be adhered to.  This makes it relevant.

It remains relevant in that we think that it should control our system.  Therefore, when we perceive things as being against the Constitution (as with many people who are upset about "Obamacare") we feel strongly that they should be rejected.  

We do not all agree on what the Constitution means, but we constantly refer back to it as support for our political points of view.  This shows it is still relevant.

Constitution -- is it still relevant?Is the constitution still relevant today?

The constitution is absolutely still relevant today. We cannot, as a country, discount its importance simply because it is an old document that has rarely been ratified. I will admit, that I am not an expert in the constitution, but I think we can compare the constitution with a business contract. The constitution is a contract between our lawmakers, law enforcers, and etc. and the American public. This contract is what distinguishes our country from other less democratic countries.

Do you think the US Constitution is still applicable and relevant today?

I strongly believe the Constitution is still relevant and applicable to the world of today. The principles that undergird it continue to be valuable and in need of safeguarding. Freedom of speech and freedom of religion are still lacking in too many parts of the world for it to be safe to relinquish a document that enshrines these as inviolable rights. The Constitution also insists that arrests be open and charges stated publicly, which prevents people from being "disappeared" by secret police as has happened in other countries in recent times. It guarantees all citizen a fair trial, as well the chance to vote for the officials that will legislate government policy. It separates the powers into three branches of government with the idea that no one segment of the government or no one person should hold too much power. The above are simply a very few examples of the many sound and humane principles embodied in this document.

The major problem we have today is not the Constitution being outdated or irrelevant. It is still a sound, wise, applicable, and relevant document struggling under an environment in which it has been increasingly put under pressure. A strong case can be made that parts of the Constitution are being ignored: the founders, for example, might find the very long prison sentences and long periods of isolation people can suffer for non-violent crimes a violation of the Constitutional ban on "cruel and unusual" punishment. Further, the expansion of executive power and privilege would probably alarm the architects of this document.

It is also true that the Constitution needs to be amended from time to time to remain relevant and applicable to current needs. There is provision for that, and it has been done multiple times without violating its core principles. We might, for instance, now find it is time in the not too distant future to revisit how we elect Senators, given that the current distribution of population gives disproportionate power to underpopulated states. But these are issues that need to be decided by the people as a whole—and that is how the document is designed to be amended.

In my opinion, respect for the spirit of the Constitution and its attempt to prevent tyranny as well as to spread rights and democracy as fully as possible should be at the forefront of citizenship and civic duty.