Amendments to the Constitution

How many ways are there to pass a constitutional amendment

There are 2 Ways to Pass A Constitutional Amendment

#1 way to pass a constitutional amendment

(Most common, 26 of 27 used this) Congress must pass a proposed amendment by a two

#2 way to pass a constitutional amendment

: (Less common, 1 of 27) Congress must pass a proposed amendment by a two

Two Major Themes of the 27 Amendments

1. Guaranteeing Individual rights,,,,, 2. Changing How Government Operates

1st

1791~ Freedom of religion, speech, press, Assembly, and protest/petition

2nd

1791~ the right to bear arms~ a well~regulated militia (necessary to the security of a a free state) ~> the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed (limited) ~> people have the right to own a weapon to protect themselves

3rd

1791~ the right to refuse to quarter soldiers, you don't need to let the soldiers live in your home (big deal durning Revolution)

4th

1791~ Right to a reasonable amount of privacy,, No unreasonable searches and seizures ~> law enforcement must have a warrant or “probable cause” in order to execute a search

5th

1791~ right to not testify against yourself (“i plead the 5th), “due Process” ~> fair legal treatment must be followed

6th

1791~ Court rights (right to: speedy and public trial,, to be informed of charges against you,, confront accusers,, obtain witnesses in your favor,, court appointed attorney)

7th

1791~ set up rules for “civil trials” (which are where 1 person seeks damages/remedy from another person) ~> guarantees the right to a jury for civil trails exceeding $20

8th

1791~ Deals with punishment ~> no: excessive bail, excessive fines, cruel and unusual punishment

9th

1791~ the constitution shall not be used to deny people of other fundamental rights,, just because a right is not listed does not mean you don't have them~> we have rights, even if they're not explicitly listed

10th

1791 ~ any right not mentioned in the Bill of RIghts is left up to the states to decide (marriage laws, traffic laws, etc)

11th

1795 ~ prohibits the Federal Government from hearing certain cases from individuals against a state; broached the issue of “sovereign immunity”

12th

1804 ~ created a separate ballot for the President and Vice president, rather than the runner

13th

1865 ~ banned the practice of slavery

14th

1868 ~ granted citizenship and equal protection under the law for formerly enslaved people and African Americans in general,,,, (it forbids states from denying any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process,,,, it is the 2nd of the “Reconstruction Amendments”))

15th

1870 ~ the right to vote shall not be denied or account of race, color, or previous condition servitude

13, 14, 15 made simple

13 (forbids practice of slavery),,, 14 (granted citizenship to all born on US soil including former slaves,,, granted equal protection under law (in theory)),,, 15 (The right to vote shall not be taken from any citizen on the “account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude”)

16th

1913 ~ implemented income tax ~ or tax on money earned by Americans,,, more tax revenue= bigger gov’t

17th

1913 ~ created the direct election of Senators by the people of their respective states ((gave more “power to the people” by giving them a direct say in their senators))

18th

1919 ~ “prohibited” the sale and production of alcohol across the country

19th

1920~ granted women the right to vote (after considerable demonstration)

20th

1933~ moved up the dates that new presidents took office to replace the previous president (called the “Lame duck amendment”)

21th

1933~ repealed the 18th amendment, which banned the production and sale of alcohol

22th

1951~ set term limit for a president to two terms

23th

1961~ gave Washington D.C. the right to participate in presidential elections

24th

1964~ banned the practice of poll taxes, or taxes levied for voting (as they were often used to disenfranchise black voters)

25th

1967~ if the president is unable to do their job, the vice president is to become president or acting president (was meant to ensure that country always had an effective and accountable leader)

26th

1971~ lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 (logic behind ~> if you are old enough to die for your country in war, then you should certainly have a say in the country’s governance!

27th

1992~ any pay changes that Congress gives itself don’t come into effect until after the next house election (every 2 years)