AP GOV - Articles of the Constitution

Preamble

“We the People”

Outlines the basic tasks we ask our federal government to do

• Establish justice

• Insure domestic tranquility

• Provide for the common defense

• Promote the general welfare

• Secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity

Article 1

Outlines the Legislative branch

• Section 2: House

• Section 3: Senate

• Sections 4, 5 and 6: Operations and structure

• Section 7: Legislative process

• Section 8: Congressional powers

• Section 9: Writ of Habeus Corpus, Bills of Attainder, ex post facto

• Section 10: Limits on state governments.

Article 2

Outlines the Executive Branch

• Section 1: Requirements to be president, electoral college

• Section 2: Presidential powers(Commander in chief, pardons, etc).

• Section 3: Outlines relationship with Congress(State of the Union Address, Adjourn the houses, etc.)

Article 3

Outlines the Judicial branch

• Section 1: Establishes Supreme Court, gives power to establish lower courts to Congress

• Section 2: Areas in which the federal and Supreme courts have jurisdiction

• Section 3: Definition of treason(only crime in the Constitution)

Article 4

Relations between states

• Section 1: Full faith and credit clause!

• Section 2: Treatment of citizens in other states

• Section 3: Congress has the power to admit new states

• Section 4: Federal government guarantees it will do 3 things for the state(protection against invasion, republican government, protect the states from violence, etc.)

Article 5

Outlines how the Constitution will be amended in the future

• Proposal

  • two thirds of both houses deem it necessary

  • Legislatures of two thirds of the states deem it necessary

• Ratification

  • Ratified by legislatures of three fourths of the states

  • Ratified by three fourths of the convention called

Article 6

Section 1: Federal government is responsible for all debts and engagements prior to Constitutions adaptation

Section 2: States the constitution and federal law as the Supreme law of the land(SUPREMACY CLAUSE)

Section 3: Calls for federal officers to take an oath and bans religious tests for qualification for office

Article 7

Describes ratification of the constitution

• 9 states needed for ratification

• Signed on September 17th, 1787 with 39 signatures including

  • George Washington

  • James Madison

  • Roger Sherman

  • Alexander Hamilton

  • William Paterson

  • Benjamin Franklin