Transcript File

United States Constitution Exam
Preparation
Amendments to the United States Constitution
Targets of this Slideshow…
At the end of this slide presentation, I can…
• Describe the basic rights, liberties and
restrictions in the Bill of Rights
• Describe major amendments after the
bill of rights dealing with suffrage
• Describe major amendments which
deal with due process
• Describe the amendment that erased a
previous amendment
Special Note
The following amendments that have
a (*) after them are of major
importance
Bill of Rights
• 1st Amendment *
– Speech, Religion, Press, Assembly and
Petition
• 2nd Amendment *
– Right to bear arms
• 3rd Amendment
– Restricts the quartering of soldiers in
citizens’ homes
• 4th Amendment *
– No Searches & Seizures without warrant
– No warrant without probable cause
Bill of Rights
• 5th Amendment *
– Capital indictments by Grand Jury
– No Double Jeopardy
– Do not have to witness against
yourself
– Cannot have life, liberty, or
property taken without due
process
– Property cannot be taken without
just compensation
Bill of Rights
• 6th Amendment *
– Speedy & Public Trial
– Impartial Jury where crime took
place
– Can confront the accuser
– Can call witnesses in your favor
– Can have an attorney
• 7th Amendment
– Right to a jury trial in civil cases
• 8th Amendment *
– No cruel & unusual punishment
– No excessive bail
Bill of Rights
• 9th Amendment *
– Rights not specifically mentioned
in the Constitution are retained
by the people
• 10th Amendment *
– Powers not delegated to the
Federal Government are reserved
to the states
Other Amendments
• 11th Amendentment
– Limits the ability of citizens to sue the government
in federal court.
• 12th Amendentment *
– President & Vice President must run on the same
ticket; come from different states
• 13th Amendentment *
– Ending Slavery
• 14th Amendentment *
– All persons naturally born in the US are citizens
and shall have equal protection & due process
• 15th Amendentment *
– The right to vote shall not be denied due to race
Other Amendments
• 16th Amendentment
•
– Congress can make an income tax
17th Amendentment *
•
– Senators are to be popularly elected by the people
instead of by state legislatures
18th Amendentment *
•
– Alcohol is illegal
19th Amendentment
•
– The right to vote shall not be denied due to gender
20th Amendentment
•
– Details on congressional & presidential terms
21st Amendentment *
*
– Repeal the 18th Amendment
Other Amendments
• 22nd Amendentment *
•
•
•
•
•
– Two-term limit for the President
23rd Amendentment *
– District of Columbia is given 3 electoral votes
24th Amendentment
– Bars a Poll Tax of elections
25th Amendentment
*
– Presidential Succession established
26th Amendentment *
– Universal suffrage for those over 18 years
old (the right to vote)
27th Amendentment
– Limits to congressional pay raises
Unsuccessful Amendments
• Article the First
– One of the original Bill of Rights
–
“Article the first... After the first enumeration required by the first
article of the Constitution, there shall be one Representative for
every thirty thousand, until the number shall amount to one hundred,
after which the proportion shall be so regulated by Congress, that
there shall be not less than one hundred Representatives, nor less
than one Representative for every forty thousand persons, until the
number of Representatives shall amount to two hundred; after which
the proportion shall be so regulated by Congress, that there shall not
be less than two hundred Representatives, nor more than one
Representative for every fifty thousand persons.”
– Passed Congress on September 25, 1789
– Only ratified by 11 states, the last one was in 1792.
– Still pending and could become an amendment to the
Constitution.
Unsuccessful Amendments
• Titles of Nobility Amendment
–
“If any citizen of the United States shall accept, claim, receive or
retain, any title of nobility or honour, or shall, without the consent of
Congress, accept and retain any present, pension, office or
emolument of any kind whatever, from any emperor, king, prince or
foreign power, such person shall cease to be a citizen of the United
States, and shall be incapable of holding any office of trust or profit
under them, or either of them.”
– Passed Congress on May 1, 1810
– Only ratified by 12 states, the last one was in 1812.
– Still pending and could become an amendment to the
Constitution.
Unsuccessful Amendments
• Corwin Amendment
–
“No amendment shall be made to the Constitution which will
authorize or give to Congress the power to abolish or interfere,
within any State, with the domestic institutions thereof, including
that of persons held to labor or service by the laws of said State.”
– Passed Congress on March 2, 1861
– Never passed in a state legislature.
– Still pending and could become an amendment to the
Constitution (although extremely unlikely).
Unsuccessful Amendments
• Child Labor Amendment
–
–
“Section 1. The Congress shall have power to limit, regulate, and
prohibit the labor of persons under eighteen years of age.”
“Section 2. The power of the several States is unimpaired by this
article except that the operation of State laws shall be suspended to
the extent necessary to give effect to legislation enacted by the
Congress.”
– Passed Congress on June 2, 1924
– Only ratified by 28 states, the last one was in 1937.
– Still pending and could become an amendment to the
Constitution.
Unsuccessful Amendments
• Equal Rights Amendment
–
–
–
“Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or
abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.”
“Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by
appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.”
“Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date
of ratification.”
– Passed Congress on March 22, 1972
– Only ratified by 30 states.
– Congress placed a deadline of seven years on the
Amendment. The deadline expired on March 22, 1979.
– The amendment is no longer pending and cannot become
an amendment to the Constitution.
Unsuccessful Amendments
• DC Voting Rights Amendment
–
–
–
“Section 1. For purposes of representation in the Congress, election
of the President and Vice President, and article V of this
Constitution, the District constituting the seat of government of the
United States shall be treated as though it were a State.”
“Section 2. The exercise of the rights and powers conferred under
this article shall be by the people of the District constituting the seat
of government, and as shall be provided by the Congress.”
“Section 3. The twenty-third article of amendment to the Constitution
of the United States is hereby repealed.”
– Passed Congress on August 22, 1978
– Only ratified by 16 states.
– Congress placed a deadline of seven years on the
Amendment. The deadline expired on August 22, 1985.
– The amendment is no longer pending and cannot become
an amendment to the Constitution.
End of Slide Presentation