Understanding the U.S. Constitution and Citizenship

Unit 3

Rights

Life, liberty, property

Duties

Obeying laws, paying taxes, serving on a jury

Responsibilities

Knowing your rights, having respect for others and their property, taking responsibility of your own actions

Four Functions of Government

Establishing Laws, Protecting Citizens, Maintaining Order & Security, Promoting the General Welfare

14th amendment

Defines American citizenship

Unites Americans

Liberty and freedom

Documented aliens can do

Work and own property

Documented aliens cannot do

Vote or hold office

Ways to become a citizen of the United States

Being born in the United States, being naturalized, derivation of citizenship through your parents

Time to become a citizen

5 years

Levels of government

Local, State, National

Branches of government

Legislative, executive, and judicial

Democracy

Principle of government that allows citizens to have power through voting and representation

Virginia Plan

Plan of government written by James Madison that called for three branches of government with a two-house legislature in which states would be represented by their population

New Jersey Plan

Plan of government written by William Paterson that called for three branches of government with a one-house legislature in which states were represented equally

Federalist Papers

85 essays written supporting the Constitution

Necessary and Proper Clause

Statement in the Constitution that gives Congress powers not listed in the Constitution to carry out its duties (also known as implied powers) and the elastic clause

Supremacy Clause

The Constitution is the supreme law of the land and no state law can conflict with it

Full Faith and Credit Clause

Part of Article IV that provides that states must recognize legislative acts, public records and judicial decisions of other US states

Popular Sovereignty

Power to rule lies with the people

Separation of Powers

Division of government into three functions

Establishment Clause

Part of the First Amendment prohibiting the establishment of an official religion

Free Exercise Clause

Part of the First Amendment prohibiting the government from preventing citizens to exercise their religion as they see fit

Enfranchisement

The right to vote

Preamble

Opening of the Constitution that states its purpose

Article I

Legislative branch makes laws and is headed by Congress

Article II

Executive branch enforces laws and is headed by the President

Article III

Judicial branch interprets laws and is headed by the Supreme Court

Article IV

States issues, admitting new states, full faith and credit clause

Article V

Outlines the amending process (2/3 Congress approval, ¾ states approval)

Article VI

Includes the supremacy clause, no law can violate the Constitution

Article VII

The Constitution would become law of the land when 9 of the 13 states ratified it

Amendments

Changes to the Constitution that have been approved by Congress and the states

Thirteenth Amendment

Outlawed slavery

Fourteenth Amendment

Defines US citizenship, grants equal protection of the laws, and prevents states from interfering with the Bill of Rights

Fifteenth Amendment

Granted suffrage to men

Seventeenth Amendment

Established direct election of senators

Eighteenth Amendment

Prohibited the sale of alcohol

Nineteenth Amendment

Granted suffrage to women

Twenty-Third Amendment

Recognized the voting rights of Washington, DC residents

Twenty-Fourth Amendment

Eliminated poll taxes

Twenty-Sixth Amendment

Changed the voting age from 21 to 18