We the People of the United States,
in Order to form a more perfect Union,
establish Justice,
insure domestic Tranquility,
provide for the common defence,
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 America.
The Preamble of the Constitution spells out the goals, ideals, and even the Mission Statements of their brand new experiment in Democracy -- called America.
So in that context, the Preamble gives us something concrete to strive for -- besides our perennial political hay-making endeavors.
"In order to form a more perfect union" means that the government was not perfect but that our founding fathers had a goal.
The word "union" refers to the union of the different colonies or states. Their "union" did not start out perfect, so the founding fathers set out with the goal of creating one, [...]
-- wiki.answers.com
The Founders designed the Constitution to "establish justice," meaning equal justice for all. This principle assumes the Right for every resident of the United States to be protected as to life, liberty, and property and to be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. [...]
-- causeofliberty.blogspot.com
The American constitution establishes justice by creating judicial power that is exercised by a single supreme court. There is also provision for the creation of other inferior courts as might be deemed necessary by the Congress.
-- ask.com
“to insure domestic Tranquility”
Society works best when there is peace in the streets. When people do not fear for their lives or their property or their jobs or their rights, they are free to live and love and work and pursue their happiness as befits a citizen of a more perfect union. [...]
-- zeraland.wordpress.com
Insure domestic tranquility:
One of the main reasons why the Constitutional Convention was held was because of Shays’ Rebellion. This was an uprising of farmers in Massachusetts against the state for having to repay war debts. Citizens were worried with the keeping peace within the country's borders.
-- kids.laws.com
provide for the common defence
Alone, each of the colonies was vulnerable to attack. They could not provide for their defense and ensure their long-term independence by themselves alone so they formed a union between them, so that they could win their independence and protect themselves against the British Government and the French.
-- wiki.answers.com
Common Defense Further Considered
The Federalist Papers: No. 25 -- Alexander Hamilton
[...] The territories of Britain, Spain, and of the Indian nations in our neighborhood do not border on particular States, but encircle the Union from Maine to Georgia. The danger, though in different degrees, is therefore common. And the means of guarding against it ought, in like manner, to be the objects of common councils and of a common treasury. [...]
-- avalon.law.yale.edu
The Preamble states that an overriding purpose of the U.S. Constitution is to “promote the general welfare,” indicating that issues such as poverty, housing, food and other economic and social welfare issues facing the citizenry were of central concern to the framers. However, the Bill of Rights has been largely construed to provide procedural mechanisms for fair adjudication of those rights rather than carving out claims on the government [...]
-- acslaw.org
promote the general Welfare
According to Thomas Jefferson “The purpose of government is to enable the people of a nation to live in safety and happiness. Government exists for the interests of the governed, not for the governors.” In a nutshell, government exists to serve and to protect the public. [...]
-- blogs.fas.org/sciencewonk
[...] by "securing the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity", we are not only to seek the benefits of liberty for ourselves but to ensure that we make sure that we do not settle for selfish gain but make sure that these benefits are set up in a manner that will guarantee the same for our children and theirs and so on.
-- wiki.answers.com
[...]
'Do ordain and establish this constitution' means that a constitution had been made for the people of America and it was accepted by them. These words were extracted from the rulings of the Supreme Court of the United States at its introductory remark in its philosophical document.
-- annenbergclassroom.org
[...]
Popular sovereignty was asserted as a founding principle of the United States of America. The Declaration of Independence of 1776 asserts that legitimate governments are those "deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed." Later, in 1787, the framers of the U.S. Constitution proclaimed popular sovereignty in the document’s Preamble: "We the people of the United States . . . do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." [...]
-- annenbergclassroom.org
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 America.
Explanation
The Preamble explains the purposes of the Constitution, and defines the powers of the new government as originating from the people of the United States.
-- www.senate.gov
Given that "fuller context" of the Preamble, isn't it odd the idea of "political advantage"
-- is not mentioned even once ... as among of our Nation's goals, ideals, or mission.
-- history.org
An experiment that strays too far from its initial parameters -- increases the odds of it ultimately failing ...
Leaving it to us to ponder the 'experimental conclusions' to be drawn, regarding this novel concept,
called We the People ... and the "more perfect" Nation, that we once tried to establish.