27 Amendments (Gov)

Bill of Rights 

• 1st Amendment: RAPPS 

  • Some freedom of religion, assembly, petition, press, & speech 

  • Speech - have the right to express yourself as long as you don’t harm someone else’s rights

  • Maidson opposed Bill of Rights @ 1st, he thought that by writing all the micro rights down, it would limit all of our rights 

• 2nd Amendment 

  • Right to a militia & to bear arms 

• 3rd Amendment: 3’s a crowd 

  • No quartering of soldiers in time of peace 

• Amendments 4-8 have to do with our lawful rights 

• 4th Amendment : search & seizure 

  • Right to be secure in house w/o unreasonable cause (warrant) 

• 5th Amendment : due process/ court rights 

  • No double jeopardy 

  • Property can’t be taken away w/o just compensation 

  • Have the right to not self incriminating 

• 6th amendment 

  • Speed & fair trial 

• 7th amendment 

  • Right to trial by jusry 

    • In cases where value of controversy shall exceed $20 

  • Civil lawsuits do not require a jury 

• 8th amendment 

  • No cruel & unusual punishment 

    • Nor excessive fines or bail required 

  • The punishment should match the severity of the crime 

• The 9th & 10th amendment reenforcing people’s & state’s rights 

• 9th amendment : peoples’ rights 

  • Rights not listed here are reserved to the people 

Rest of Amendments

• 11th amendment

  • Suits or complaints against states must be tried in state courts not federal courts 

• 12th amendment 

  • Procedures for electing president & vice president 

    • Article II, section 3 

  • America has a win or your out mentality w/ politics 

• 13-15 amendmenst are from the civil war 

• 13th amendment : abortion of slavery 

  • No slavery nor involuntary servitude except in cases of punishment 

  • The 3 looks as though it is a chain breaking off the wall (1) 

• 14th amendment : rights of citizenship 

  • Citizenship defined 

  • Penalty for states not respecting laws 

  • Slaves now considered citizens 

• 15th amendment : right to vote 

  • Shall not be denied bc of race/color 

  • States created poll tax & literacy tests to go around the new amendment 

• 16th amendment : income tax power 

  • Congress has the power to levy direct income tax on people 

• 17th amendment (direct election of senators) 

  • People will directly elect senators (did not used to be able to do this, the state officials used to) 

  • Removes power away from congress 

• 18th amendment : prohibition of alcohol 

  • No selling of alcohol 

    • @ 18 = no alcohol 

• 19th amendment : women’s suffarge 

  • Women can vote, equal rights as men 

• 20th amendment : lame duck 

  • Moves date of 1st Congressional meeting from feb. - jan 3rd 

  • Shortens inauguration of president 

• 21st amendment : end of prohibition 

  • 21 yrs of age can purchase alcohol 

• 22nd amendment 

  • 2 term limit for presenident 

• 23rd amendment : DC counts 

  • Allows Washington DC residents to vote in a presidential election, but not for congressional/….. 

  • To remember it : DC is 2 letters, they got 3 votes 

• 24th amendment : no poll tax 

  • Some states in the South were still using poll tax 

  • Eliminates Jim Crow laws 

  • Poll tax was used against poor people of all races 

• 25th amendment : nixon-ford issue 

  • When nixon’s vp died, it was unclear how to select a new vp (ford) 

  • Creates protocol & procedures for succession of office 

    • Order of succession: president, vp, speaker of the house, leader of senate, secretary of state 

• 26th amendment : 18 yr adulthood 

  • Allows for 18 yr olds to vote 

  • Passed bc so many young adults were dying in Vietnam 

• 27th amendment : congressional salaries 

  • Shall take effect in the next congress 

  • No same term bonuses 

  • Promotes austerity & limits corruption