talkpolitics | Which is more important: The Constitution or The USA

I was watching a show about the Presidents of the USA and while watching the Presidents that existed during and just prior to the Civil War a question came to me. The question is which is more important the Constitution or The Nation of the USA?

Now in the ideal world the Constitution of the USA is indeed the best thing for the whole of the USA. Yet there have been times that one or another political force argued that something was very needed for the USA, yet that very thing was neither openly or subjectively supported by the constitution. I for one believe that the ending of slavery was one of those issues. While the Constitution in no way forced, and still doesn't, its member states to remain a part of the USA it was important go to war to keep the USA united and to end slavery. Although I do think slavery would have ended naturally on its own, it doesn't make invalid the conflict to end it.

Which is more important the USA or the Constitution?

If one sticks to the legal frame work of the Constitution many of the actions of the United States Government are not supported by the Constitution. It takes a lot of "the spirit of the" to think that the above statement isn't true. Yet many of these actions that are not supported by the Constitution are also things generally embraced by the population. So the question remains when the elected government wants to take a action that is neither supported or allowed by the Constitution but is popularly supported (yet not enough for a amendment to the Constitution) should the government be allowed to do it?