Constitution

Article I

Legislative Branch: Senate & House of Representatives, House’s jobs, what Congress can/can’t do, powers forbidden to states. Longest article

Article II

Executive Branch: president & VP, electoral college, presidential duties

Article III

Judicial Branch: Supreme Court & inferior courts, jurisdiction, court processes. treason definition and conviction

Article IV

States, Citizenship, New States: recognition of legal documents, fleeing criminals, state rights, state formation

Article V

Amendment Process

Article VI

Debts, Supremacy, Oaths, Religious Tests

Article VII

Ratification

Legislative Powers over the President

Override veto, approve treaties and appointments

Legislative powers over courts

Impeach judges, create lower federal courts

Executive power over courts

President nominates Supreme Court justices, court of appeals judges, and district court judges

Executive power over Congress

President can veto laws

Judicial power over president

Declare executive orders unconstitutional

Judicial power over Congress

Declare laws unconstitutional

Most common way of proposing an amendment

2/3 of both the House of Representatives and the Senate approve the proposal

Most common way to ratify an amendment

Lawmakers in at least ¾ of the states vote to approve the amendment

Never used method of amendment proposal

2/3 of the state legislatures ask Congress to call a convention to propose the amendment

Uncommon method of amendment ratification

Specially elected delegates from at least ¾ of the states vote to approve the amendment

House of Representatives Requirements

25+ years old, 7+ years of citizenship, 2 year term, people vote every other year

Senate Requirements

30+ years old, 9+ years of citizenship, 6 year term, people vote every 6 years

President Requirements

35+ years old, natural-born citizen, 4 year term, popular vote & electoral college

Supreme Court Justice Requirements

No age or citizenship requirements, life-long term, nominated by president and approved by Senate

Elastic Clause

(Article I, Section 8 ) Grants Congress the power to pass all laws needed to carry out its enumerated powers. It allows lawmakers to create laws for things not explicitly written in the Constitution

1st Amendment

Freedom of speech , religion, press, and the right to assemble peaceably and petition

2nd Amendment

Right of the people to keep and bear arms

3rd Amendment

Soldiers can’t be lodged in a house without the owner’s consent in peacetime

4th Amendment

People and their personal property can’t be searched without a warrant

5th Amendment

Established grand jury, double jeopardy, protected agianst self-incrimination, due process, compensation for taking property

6th Amendment

Speedy public trial, impartial jury, notice of accusations, right to confront witnesses, call defense witnesses, and legal counsel

7th Amendment

Right to jury trial in civil cases exceeding $20

8th Amendment

Protects people from being forced to pay excessively high bail or fines, and from facing cruel and unusual punishment

9th Amendment

Protected people’s basic constitutional rights (listed and unlisted)

10th Amendment

Any powers not explicitly granted to the federal government by the Constitution, nor prohibited to the states, belong to the states or the people

11th Amendment

Protected state governments from being sued in federal court by people who live in other states or foreign states

12th Amendment

Electors vote for president and vice president on separate ballots

13th Amendment

Ended slavery and forced labor (unites its punishment for a crime)

14th Amendment

Defined U.S. citizenship and guaranteed all people equal protection under the law

15th Amendment

“Race, color, or previous condition of servitude” couldn’t be used as a reason to refuse anyone the right to vote

16th Amendment

Gave Congress the power to collect a federal income tax from citizens and businesses

17th Amendment

Election of senators was granted to the people of each of the states

18th Amendment

Prohibition (the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages was prohibited)

19th Amendment

The right to vote can’t be denied because of a person’s sex

20th Amendment

Shortened the “lame-duck” period after federal elections, Congress must meet once per year, clarified presidential succession

21st Amendment

Repealed the 18th Amendment

22nd Amendment

Limited the president to 2 terms, and no more than 10 total years

23rd Amendment

Allowed people in Washington, D.C. to vote in presidential elections (3 electoral votes)

24th Amendment

Abolished poll taxes in federal elections

25th Amendment

Established procedure for presidential death and/or disability (succession)

26th Amendment

Set the minimum voting age at 18 for federal elections

27th Amendment

Allowed Congress to pass a law increasing their salaries, but restricted them from collecting it until after the next election cycle

Civil War Amendments

13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments