OBJECTIVES Describe the Articles and majr principles f the United States Cnstitutin. Explain the majr amendments t the U.S. Cnstitutin. The U.S. cnstitutin is made up f a Preamble and 7 Articles. Preamble statement f purpse : We the Peple f the United States, in rder t frm a mre perfect unin, establish justice, insure dmestic tranquility, prvide fr the cmmn defense, prmte the general welfare, and secure the blessings f liberty t urselves and ur psterity, d rdain and establish this Cnstitutin fr the United States f America. Article 1: The Legislative Branch (Cngress) Bicameral Cnsists f Huse f Representatives and Senate Main jb is making laws, prpsed laws are called bills Article 2: The Executive Branch (President) President f the United States 4 year terms with a maximum f 2 terms Execute and carry ut laws. Article 3: The Judicial Branch (The Supreme Curt) Settle disputes between states Cntrlled by neither President r Cngress Judges nminated by President, apprved by Senate Judges serve life terms Article 4: The States States must hnr the laws f ther states Article 5: Amending the Cnstitutin Changes t the Cnstitutin Amend means t change This Article utlines the specific prcess needed t change the Cnstitutin Article 6: The Supremacy f the Cnstitutin Federal laws take pririty ver state laws N law (state r federal) may vilate the Cnstitutin Anther name fr the U.S. Cnstitutin is The Supreme Law f the Land Article 7: Ratificatin Prcedure fr apprval f Cnstitutin used during and after the Cnstitutinal Cnventin
Majr Principles f American Gvernment Ppular Svereignty the authrity f the gvernment is created and sustained by the cnsent f its peple, thrugh their elected representatives (Rule by the Peple) The citizens are THE surce f all plitical pwer. Let the peple decide. Federalism The divisin f pwer between the states and the federal (r natinal) gvernment Cncurrent pwers & Reserved pwers Separatin f Pwers 3 Branches Pwers distributed amng the three branches - each branch has it s wn respnsibility and pwers. Each branch is legally independent and equal. Checks and Balances Gives each branch f gvernment ways t limit the pwers f the ther tw. p. 130 in Civics bk Judicial Review The Supreme Curt s pwer t verturn any law that it decides is in cnflict with the Cnstitutin. Limited Gvernment The Cnstitutin creates a gvernment limited by the cnsent f the peple. Based n ppular svereignty
1. First Amendment: Freedm f Religin, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petitin 2. Secnd Amendment: Right t Bear Arms 3. Third Amendment: Quartering f Trps 4. Furth Amendment: Searches and Seizures 5. Fifth Amendment: Criminal Prceedings; Due Prcess; Eminent Dmain The Bill f Rights (Amendments 1-10) 6. Sixth Amendment: Criminal Prceedings (Fair Trial) 7. Seventh Amendment: Civil Trials Amendments 11-27 8. Eighth Amendment: Punishment fr Crimes 9. Ninth Amendment: Unenumerated Rights 10. Tenth Amendment: Pwers Reserved t the States 11. Eleventh Amendment (1795): Suits Against States 12. Twelfth Amendment (1804): Electin f President and Vice President 13. Thirteenth Amendment (1865): Slavery and Invluntary Servitude 14. Furteenth Amendment (1868): Rights f Citizens 15. Fifteenth Amendment (1870): Right t Vte Race, Clr, Servitude 16. Sixteenth Amendment (1913): Incme Tax 17. Seventeenth Amendment (1913): Ppular Electin f Senatrs 18. Eighteenth Amendment (1919): Prhibitin f Intxicating Liqurs 19. Nineteenth Amendment (1920): Wmen s Suffrage 20. Twentieth Amendment (1933): Cmmencement f Terms; Sessins f Cngress; Death r Disqualifying f President-Elect 21. Twenty-first Amendment (1933): Repeal f Prhibitin 22. Twenty-secnd Amendment (1951): Presidential Tenure 23. Twenty-third Amendment (1961): Presidential Electrs fr D.C. 24. Twenty-furth Amendment (1964): Right t Vte in Federal Electins Pll Taxes Illegal 25. Twenty-fifth Amendment (1967): Presidential Successin, Vice Presidential Vacancy, Presidential Inability 26. Twenty-sixth Amendment (1971): Right t vte Vting Age Lwered t 18 27. Twenty-seventh Amendment (1992): Cngressinal Pay
Civil War Amendments The Thirteenth Amendment (1865): Was passed after much tensin between the Nrth and Suth Came abut after the Nrth wn the Civil War The Furteenth Amendment (1868): Gave citizenship t African Americans All persns brn r naturalized in US are citizens Fifteenth Amendment (1870): Allwed African Americans the right t vte Other Amendments Twenty-furth Amendment 1964: Made pll taxes illegal The Nineteenth Amendment 1920: Allwed wman t vte The Twenty-sixth Amendment 1971: Drpped the vting age frm 21 t 18 Prmpted by the Vietnam war and the draft Yung Americans can fight, but nt vte Amend means t change Amendments are general, nt specific! This allws them t be interpreted by the Supreme curt. Supreme Curt Cases Plessy v. Fergusn (1896) 14th Amendment: Gave African Americans citizenship, but States gt arund this by segregatin laws r separatin f blacks and whites in public places Hmer Plessy refused t leave a whites nly railrad car in Luisiana. This case brught abut separate but equal, which meant that if the quality f the railrad cars were the same than segregatin was justified (verturned in Brwn v. Bard) Brwn v. Bard f Educatin f Tpeka (1954) Linda Brwn lived 7 blcks frm white schl and was required t g 21 blcks t African American schl. Parents tk the schl bard t curt. Separate but equal established in Plessy v. Fergusn was verturned and all segregatin laws were made uncnstitutinal