amendment

Flashcard 1
Front: 1st Amendment (1791)
Back: Freedom of Religion, Speech, Press, Assembly, and Petition

  • Religion: Establishment Clause (no official religion), Free Exercise Clause (freedom to practice religion)

  • Speech/Press: Protected from censorship; exceptions include obscenity, defamation, incitement

  • Assembly/Petition: Right to protest and seek government action

Flashcard 2
Front: 2nd Amendment (1791)
Back: Right to Bear Arms

  • Protects individual gun ownership

  • Interpreted in District of Columbia v. Heller

Flashcard 3
Front: 3rd Amendment (1791)
Back: Quartering of Soldiers

  • No housing of soldiers in homes without consent in peacetime

  • Rarely litigated

Flashcard 4
Front: 4th Amendment (1791)
Back: Search and Seizure

  • Protects against unreasonable searches; warrants need probable cause

  • Includes exclusionary rule (Mapp v. Ohio) and privacy protections

Flashcard 5
Front: 5th Amendment (1791)
Back: Rights in Criminal Cases

  • No double jeopardy, self-incrimination; due process required

  • Takings Clause: fair compensation for taken property

  • Miranda v. Arizona established Miranda rights

Flashcard 6
Front: 6th Amendment (1791)
Back: Right to a Fair Trial

  • Speedy, public trial; impartial jury; confront witnesses; right to counsel

  • Right to counsel enforced in Gideon v. Wainwright

Flashcard 7
Front: 7th Amendment (1791)
Back: Trial by Jury in Civil Cases

  • Jury trial for federal civil cases over $20

  • Not incorporated to states

Flashcard 8
Front: 8th Amendment (1791)
Back: Bail, Fines, and Punishment

  • No excessive bail/fines or cruel/unusual punishment

  • Applied in Furman v. Georgia, Gregg v. Georgia

Flashcard 9
Front: 9th Amendment (1791)
Back: Unenumerated Rights

  • People have rights beyond those listed in the Constitution

  • Supports privacy rights (Griswold v. Connecticut, Roe v. Wade)

Flashcard 10
Front: 10th Amendment (1791)
Back: Reserved Powers to the States

  • Powers not given to federal government are reserved to states or people

  • Supports federalism

Flashcard 11
Front: 11th Amendment (1795)
Back: Sovereign Immunity

  • Limits lawsuits against states in federal court

  • Reinforces state immunity

Flashcard 12
Front: 12th Amendment (1804)
Back: Presidential Elections

  • Separate electoral votes for president and VP

  • Prevents ties like in 1800; strengthens party unity

Flashcard 13
Front: 13th Amendment (1865)
Back: Abolition of Slavery

  • Ends slavery and involuntary servitude (except as punishment)

  • Used in modern civil rights cases

Flashcard 14
Front: 14th Amendment (1868)
Back: Citizenship and Equal Protection

  • Citizenship Clause: Born/naturalized = citizen

  • Due Process: Protects from state infringement; key in selective incorporation

  • Equal Protection: Foundation for civil rights (e.g., Brown v. Board)

Flashcard 15
Front: 15th Amendment (1870)
Back: Right to Vote – Race

  • No denial of vote based on race or previous servitude

  • Enforced by Voting Rights Act of 1965

Flashcard 16
Front: 16th Amendment (1913)
Back: Federal Income Tax

  • Congress can levy income tax without state apportionment

Flashcard 17
Front: 17th Amendment (1913)
Back: Direct Election of Senators

  • Replaces state legislature selection with direct vote

Flashcard 18
Front: 18th Amendment (1919)
Back: Prohibition

  • Bans alcohol manufacture, sale, and transport

  • Led to crime; later repealed

Flashcard 19
Front: 19th Amendment (1920)
Back: Women’s Suffrage

  • Voting rights cannot be denied based on sex

Flashcard 20
Front: 20th Amendment (1933)
Back: Lame Duck Amendment

  • Inauguration: Jan 20 (was Mar 4); Congress starts Jan 3

  • Shortens lame duck period

Flashcard 21
Front: 21st Amendment (1933)
Back: Repeal of Prohibition

  • Repeals 18th Amendment

  • States control alcohol laws

Flashcard 22
Front: 22nd Amendment (1951)
Back: Presidential Term Limits

  • Two-term limit or max 10 years in office

Flashcard 23
Front: 23rd Amendment (1961)
Back: Electoral Votes for D.C.

  • D.C. gets electoral votes (max 3)

Flashcard 24
Front: 24th Amendment (1964)
Back: Abolition of Poll Taxes

  • Bans poll taxes in federal elections

  • Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections enforced this

Flashcard 25
Front: 25th Amendment (1967)
Back: Presidential Succession and Disability

  • Clarifies VP succession and president’s incapacity process

Flashcard 26
Front: 26th Amendment (1971)
Back: Voting Age Lowered to 18

  • Prompted by Vietnam War: “Old enough to fight, old enough to vote”

Flashcard 27
Front: 27th Amendment (1992)
Back: Congressional Pay Restraint

  • Congressional pay changes take effect after next election