Mason Jordan

Professor Douglass
Govt - 2305
9 -12- 2021

Six big ideas of the Constitution

• Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 limits the federal government by saying,
"make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the
foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this constitution." This means that only
laws and decisions that are necessary for the country and benefit the people should be put
into effect. It also means that anything that isnt of importance cannot be put into effect
such as laws that are unjust and would only benefit a certain group of people.
• Article IV, Section 4, Clause one states, “The United States shall guarantee
to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of
them against Invasion.” This means that every state is entitled to the same form of
government and under the constitution that state is to be protected by the rest of the
country. This also means that every state in the country has the right to be represented in
the decision making of laws for the country.
• Article II, Section 4, Clause 1 of the constitution says, “The President,
Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office
on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and
Misdemeanors.” This statement means that no one has immunity within the federal
government and if someone, regardless of rank, is found guilty of a high crime they will
be removed. This is also an example of how the United States makes no one above
another as opposed to other countries at the time where the rulers and people in
government were above everyone.
• Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 states, “To make all Laws which shall be
necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other
Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any
Department or Officer thereof.” This means that the federal government is to be in charge
of an equal responsibility of the general welfare and responsibilities of the citizens in the
United States.
• Article I, Section 7, Clause 2 says, “ Every Bill which shall have passed
the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented
to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall
return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall
enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such
Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent,
together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be
reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in
all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and Nays, and the
Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of
each House respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days
(Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in
like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its
Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law.” This part of the constitution talks about how
a bill or law gets passed by going through all 3 branches of government. This system is
set up so that one branch of the government doesn't have more power than another, and
for something to be put into action it must be approved by vote and then brought to the
president. But, if the president doesn't approve his decision can be overruled.
• Article VII, Section 1, Clause 1 says, “ The Ratification of the
Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution
between the States so ratifying the Same.” This means that if there is ever a point in time
where the constitution should be ratified, the people can come together and vote to ratify
the constitution.

Sources: U.S. Senate: Constitution of the United States. (2021, July 21). United States
Senate. https://www.senate.gov/civics/constitution_item/constitution.htm#a7