Constitution Review

Article I- Focuses on the legislative branch of government, that being the House of
Representatives, and the Senate. The main focus of this branch is to provide bills which, when
passed become legislation. They also vote on amendments to the constitution, and resolutions
that are meant to influence things outside of the legislative branch’s control. This article also
explains what the branch can and cannot do in sections 8 and 9. This article also places many of
the same legislative rules laid out in section 9 on the state’s legislative branches in section 10.
Article II- Is about the executive branch of government, primarily focusing on the powers
regarding the president. The article is broken down into four sections which mostly focus on
what the president can and cannot do. Section 1 is about how the election of the president and
vice president are handled, although the election of the vice president has since been changed.
Section 2 lays out the president’s power over the military, the ability to pardon, positions he
can appoint, and grants the legislative branch to overturn some of the president’s decisions.
Section 3 says how the president should carry out informing congress, receiving ambassadors
and commissioning all Officers. Lastly, section 4 says how the president and vice president can
be impeached.
Article III- Focuses on the Judicial Branch of government, and is broken into three sections.
Section 1 focuses on how the Supreme Court holds all power of the judicial branch of
government, and can set up inferior courts when it sees fit. It also states that provided the
judges behave well they shall be compensated. Section 2 focuses on which cases are to be given
to the Supreme Court, and what the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court actually is. Section 3 is
about what constitutes treason and how such trials will be carried out.
Article IV- Consists of four sections regarding both new and old states, and citizenship. The first
sections is simply about how congress should look at all laws and decisions made by each states
equally. Section 2 regards people fleeing from crimes in other states and how other states are
to be given back to the state in which the crime was committed, this also applies to people held
in service or labor. Section 3 is about how new states can be admitted into the Union, and how
congress cannot make new states within states, or be prejudice in their rules regarding territory
of the United States. Section 4 guarantees to all states that they shall be protected if invaded,
and how the federal government will protect these states from domestic violence as well.
Article V- Is about how Amendments are given to the constitution. Basically two-thirds of
congress, or two thirds of State Legislatures can call for amendments to the Constitution and
these can then be ratified by a three fourths majority in either state legislators or congress. It
also speaks of rather specific circumstances in which Amendments cannot be made.
Article VI- This article has three main clauses focusing on past debts, supremacy, oaths and
religious texts during these oaths. The first parts states that the new constitution will recognize
any debts made by the former American government. The second states that the Constitution
has supremacy over all other laws within the United States. Lastly it ends with explaining how
many public servants shall be bound by an Oath of Affirmation in support of the Constitution,
but also says how no religious texts shall be required for Qualification.
Article VII- Consists of one sentence saying what would constitute a ratification and its
adoption for the Union.
First Amendment- Guarantees the people’s right to freedom of speech, religion, protest, and
religion.
Second Amendment- Guarantees well-regulated militias for states, and for people to bear
arms.
Third Amendment- Soldiers cannot be quartered in people’s house without permission during
times of peace.
Fourth Amendment- Protects the people from search and seizure without warrants, and
warrants cannot be given without probable cause, specifics, and a judge.
Fifth Amendment- Disallows a person being subject to the same crime twice, and your private
property being taken without proper compensation. Guarantees a grand jury for infamous or
capital crimes, and due process for all criminal cases.
Sixth Amendment- Guarantees that during trials the accused will have a speedy trial, have trial
by jury, have witnesses at their trial, and to know the nature of their accused crime.
Seventh Amendment- Guarantees a jury trial in certain civil lawsuits.
Eighth Amendment- Bans excessive bails, fines, or cruel and unusual punishment.
Ninth Amendment- That the rights of the people are more than the ones laid out in the bill of
rights. (?)
Tenth Amendment- All power not specifically given to the federal government are given to the
states or the people.
Eleventh Amendment- Makes sure that states cannot be sued on a federal basis for state laws,
also means that the federal government cannot be sued on a state level for federal laws. (?)
Twelfth Amendment- Changed how the election of the president and vice president was
carried out.
Thirteenth Amendment- Abolished all involuntary labor except as punishment for a crime.
Fourteenth Amendment- Made all people born in the United States citizens of the US, all
people were equal under the law. Made the population of all males accounted in the numbers
required for representatives. Any person who participated in a rebellion cannot hold office
unless a vote by two thirds of the house votes otherwise. The government will not recognize
any debts incurred by rebellion against the United States.
Fifteenth Amendment- The right to vote cannot be denied because of race.
Sixteenth Amendment- Congress has the right to collect income tax.
Seventeenth Amendment- Senators are no longer appointed and are instead elected by
popular vote.
Eighteenth Amendment- Made the manufacturing and transportation of alcohol illegal.
Nineteenth Amendment- Gave women the right to vote.
Twentieth Amendment- Gives specific dates for the end of the terms for the President, the Vice
President, senators, and congress. Gives a new order of succession for the President, the
Senators and for congress.
Twenty-First Amendment- Repealed the nineteenth amendment.
Twenty-Second Amendment- Put a two term limit on the presidency
Twenty-Third Amendment- Allows people in D.C to vote for president.
Twenty-Fourth Amendment- People’s right to vote cannot be denied because they didn’t pay a
“poll tax.”
Twenty-Fifth Amendment- Changed certain processes about the president and vice president.
Specifically what happens should the president die and the vice president takes over.
Twenty-Sixth Amendment- Changed the voting age to 18.
Twenty-Seventh Amendment- A change in the pay of senators or for congress will not happen
until the next term for these seats happens.
The parts of the Constitution that were the most confusing were the 9 th amendment, and
almost anything involving the election of the president and vice president.
The parts that I would consider the most important are Article 1, and amendments; as they
effect everyday citizens more than other parts.