US Amendments

1st Amendment

Protects freedom of religion speech press peaceful assembly and petition. The Establishment Clause prohibits the government from establishing or officially favoring a religion while the Free Exercise Clause protects religious belief and practice. It also protects the right to express ideas through speech and the press to assemble peacefully and to petition the government for redress of grievances

2nd Amendment

Protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It refers to a well regulated militia and protects an individual right to possess firearms while still permitting constitutionally valid firearm regulations

3rd Amendment

Prohibits soldiers from being quartered in private homes during peacetime without the owner's consent. During wartime soldiers may be quartered in homes only according to procedures prescribed by law. It protects private homes and property from unauthorized military intrusion

4th Amendment

Protects people against unreasonable government searches and seizures of their persons houses papers and effects. Warrants generally require probable cause supported by oath or affirmation and must particularly describe the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized. The exclusionary rule can prevent illegally obtained evidence from being used in criminal proceedings

5th Amendment

Provides several protections against government power. It requires a grand jury indictment for certain serious federal crimes protects against double jeopardy protects against compelled self incrimination guarantees due process of law by the federal government and contains the Takings Clause which requires just compensation when government takes private property for public use

6th Amendment

Provides rights to people accused of crimes including a speedy and public trial an impartial jury notice of the nature and cause of the accusation confrontation of adverse witnesses compulsory process for obtaining favorable witnesses and assistance of counsel for the defense

7th Amendment

Preserves the right to a jury trial in certain federal civil cases at common law where the amount in controversy exceeds twenty dollars. It also restricts federal courts from reexamining factual determinations made by juries except according to established rules of common law

8th Amendment

Prohibits excessive bail excessive fines and cruel and unusual punishments. It limits how severely the government may punish people and is relevant to issues involving criminal sentences conditions of confinement and methods of punishment

9th Amendment

States that listing particular rights in the Constitution does not mean that the people possess only those rights. The enumeration of certain constitutional rights cannot be interpreted to deny or disparage other rights retained by the people

10th Amendment

Establishes an important principle of federalism. Powers that the Constitution does not delegate to the federal government and does not prohibit the states from exercising are reserved to the states respectively or to the people. It reinforces the principle that the federal government possesses limited and enumerated powers

11th Amendment

Limits federal judicial power over certain lawsuits brought against states. It was adopted after Chisholm v Georgia and is associated with the broader doctrine of state sovereign immunity which generally protects states from certain private lawsuits in federal court although exceptions exist

12th Amendment

Revised the Electoral College system by requiring electors to cast separate votes for President and Vice President. If no presidential candidate receives the required Electoral College majority the House of Representatives chooses the President with each state delegation receiving one vote. If no vice presidential candidate receives the required majority the Senate chooses the Vice President

13th Amendment

Abolished slavery and involuntary servitude throughout the United States except as punishment for a crime after conviction. It also grants Congress power to enforce the amendment through appropriate legislation. It was the first of the three Reconstruction Amendments

14th Amendment

Establishes birth and naturalization citizenship and contains several major constitutional protections against state governments. The Privileges or Immunities Clause protects certain rights of United States citizens. The Due Process Clause prohibits states from depriving any person of life liberty or property without due process of law. The Equal Protection Clause prohibits states from denying any person within their jurisdiction equal protection of the laws. Congress has authority to enforce the amendment through appropriate legislation

15th Amendment

Prohibits the federal government and state governments from denying or abridging a citizen's right to vote on account of race color or previous condition of servitude. Congress has power to enforce the amendment through appropriate legislation. It was the third Reconstruction Amendment

16th Amendment

Authorizes Congress to impose and collect federal income taxes without apportioning those taxes among the states according to population and without regard to a census. It removed constitutional obstacles that had previously complicated the use of a federal income tax

17th Amendment

Establishes the direct popular election of United States senators. Before this amendment senators were generally selected by state legislatures. Each state continues to have two senators serving six year terms but voters of the state directly elect them

18th Amendment

Established nationwide Prohibition by prohibiting the manufacture sale and transportation of intoxicating liquors for beverage purposes as well as their importation into and exportation from the United States. It was later repealed by the 21st Amendment

19th Amendment

Prohibits the United States and the states from denying or abridging the right to vote on account of sex. It constitutionally protected women's voting rights nationwide although discriminatory barriers continued to prevent many women particularly women of color from voting in practice

20th Amendment

Changes the dates on which presidential vice presidential and congressional terms begin and end. Presidential and vice presidential terms begin on January 20 and congressional terms begin on January 3. It shortened the period between elections and assumption of office and also establishes procedures for certain situations in which a President elect dies or fails to qualify

21st Amendment

Repealed the 18th Amendment and therefore ended federal constitutional Prohibition. It also gives states substantial authority concerning the transportation or importation of alcoholic beverages into their territory in violation of state law. It is the only constitutional amendment that directly repeals another amendment

22nd Amendment

Limits presidential tenure. A person generally cannot be elected President more than twice. A person who serves more than two years of another President's term may be elected President only once meaning the maximum possible presidential service is approximately ten years

23rd Amendment

Grants the District of Columbia participation in presidential elections by giving it Electoral College electors. Washington DC receives the number of electors it would have if it were a state but it cannot receive more electors than the least populous state

24th Amendment

Prohibits the federal government and the states from conditioning the right to vote in federal elections on payment of a poll tax or any other tax. It was designed to eliminate a financial barrier that had historically been used to suppress voting particularly among poor and Black citizens

25th Amendment

Establishes procedures concerning presidential succession vice presidential vacancies and presidential inability. The Vice President becomes President when the President dies resigns or is removed. When the vice presidency becomes vacant the President nominates a replacement who takes office after confirmation by a majority of both houses of Congress. It also provides procedures for temporarily transferring presidential powers when a President is unable to perform the duties of office

26th Amendment

Prohibits the federal government and the states from denying or abridging the right to vote of United States citizens who are eighteen years of age or older on account of age. It effectively established eighteen as the maximum permissible minimum voting age in federal state and local elections

27th Amendment

Prohibits a law changing the compensation of members of Congress from taking effect until an election of representatives has occurred. Congress may vote to change congressional pay but the change cannot take effect immediately and voters must have an opportunity to elect members of the House before the compensation change becomes effective