AP The Amendments Part 1: 11-17

Ten vocabulary flashcards covering the U.S. Constitutional Amendments 11 through 17, along with related key concepts from the lecture notes.

11th Amendment

Prohibits states from being sued in Federal Court by individuals not from that state, protecting sovereign immunity. Ratified in 1795.

Sovereign Immunity

The idea that governments can only be sued by the people they govern, not outsiders, as protected by the 11th Amendment.

12th Amendment

Established a second ballot in the Electoral College for the Vice President to be voted for separately, ensuring the President and Vice President are from the same political party. Ratified in 1804.

13th Amendment

Abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime; the first of the three Reconstruction Amendments. Ratified in 1865.

14th Amendment

Defined citizenship (everyone born in the U.S. is a citizen), prohibited states from denying due process or equal protection under the law, and addressed post-Civil War issues. Ratified in 1868.

"The Second Founding"

A term for the 14th Amendment because it gave the Federal Government the power to stop states from violating the people's rights, applying most Bill of Rights protections to state governments.

15th Amendment

Prohibits denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude, leading to voting rights for Black men. Ratified in 1870.

16th Amendment

Gives Congress the power to create a national income tax, which has become the largest revenue source for the Federal Government. Ratified in 1913.

17th Amendment

Changed the election of senators from selection by state legislatures to a direct election by the people of the state, reducing corruption. Ratified in 1913.