THE CONSTITUTION WELCOME TO GOVERNMENT!

The Preamble The Preamble is the opening statement to the United States Constitution. The preamble explains the reasons why the Framers of the Constitution made our government a republic. By doing this, the founding fathers replaced the Articles of Confederation. The Preamble along with the rest of the Constitution was written over a period of about 6 weeks. The Preamble helped explain why the Constitution was written. However, it is not the law.

Establish Justice – We didn’t want a government which would trample our rights again! Ensure Domestic Tranquility – The Convention was called because of Shay’s Rebellion. We needed peace within our borders! Provide for the Common Defense – We could be attacked by foreign nations and need a military. Promote the General Welfare – Take care of the citizenry of the U.S. Secure the Blessings of Liberty for Ourselves and our Posterity – Gain and protect the freedoms that we fought for, for future generations. Do Ordain and Establish – The people have made and enacted this Constitution! "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." -

Article 1 – The Legislative Branch Section One All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Section Two The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States… No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen. The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment

THE SENATE Section 3 The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote. No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen. The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.

Sections 4 though 7 Describes how the Congress will work, when they will meet, how they will keep records, etc.

Section 8 The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; THE POWER TO TAX To borrow Money on the credit of the United States; THE POWER TO BORROW To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes; THE POWER TO CONDUCT INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States; THE POWER TO DEAL WITH IMMIGRATION To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures; THE POWER TO CREATE CURRENCY To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States; THE POWER TO PUNISH THOSE WHO CREATE FAKE CURRENCY To establish Post Offices and post Roads;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water; THE POWER TO DECLARE WAR To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years; To provide and maintain a Navy; … To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions; To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress; THE POWER TO MAINTAIN A MILITARY FORCE

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof; THE POWER TO MAKE ANY LAWS “NECESSARY AND PROPER” TO CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF GOVERNMENT – THE “ELASTIC CLAUSE”

Sections 9 and 10 Section 9 states what Congress cannot do including passage of an ex post facto law. Latin for “after the fact”, this means that if something becomes illegal after you have done it, or consequences change after you have committed the crime, you cannot be punished with the new law. Section 10 states what powers of Congress the states cannot interfere with.

Article Two – The Executive Branch Section 1 The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows:

Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector. CREATION OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE WHICH CHOOSES THE PRESIDENT Section one continues to describe how the electoral college will work.

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

Section one explains who will take office if the President cannot perform his duties and details regarding how he is paid. This section ends with the words that he will say at his inauguration: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Section 2 – Powers of the President The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; … He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, …

Section 3 describes how the President will interact with the Congress and Section 4 explains how s/he may be removed from office.

Article Three – The Judicial Branch Section 1 The judicial Power of the United States shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish…

Sections 2 and 3 Explains the powers of the Judicial Branch and the crime of Treason.

CHECKS AND BALANCES!!!

Article Four – State’s Rights

Article 5 – Amending (changing or adding to) the Constitution Two thirds of Congress or two thirds of the states may propose an amendment 3/4ths of the states must approve it.

Article 6 – The Supremacy Clause States that the Constitution, national laws and treaties are the “Supreme Law of the land”

Article Seven Ratifying the Constitution The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.

AMENDMENTS!!!! The first 10 Amendments which guarantee our individual rights are known as the Bill of Rights. Amendment 1 The First Amendment protects the rights of every American. It defines the freedoms of religion, speech, press, petition, and assembly. Most Americans believe that the First Amendment guarantees their most important rights.

Remember where these came from? Amendment 2 The Second Amendment guarantees Americans the right to bear arms, or own guns. Amendment 3 The Third Amendment prevents the government from forcing citizens to shelter soldiers in their homes. Amendment 4 The Fourth Amendment protects the privacy of American citizens. It prohibits, or prevents, unnecessary or unreasonable searches of a person's property.

The Justice System and the Bill of Rights. Amendment 5 In the Fifth Amendment, all Americans are guaranteed the right to a fair and legal trial. It also protects someone from testifying against him- or herself under oath. Amendment 6 A right to a speedy trial is guaranteed in the Sixth Amendment. Amendment 7 The Seventh Amendment guarantees the right to a trial by jury in civil, or private, legal cases where damages are more than $20. Civil cases solve disputes between citizens. Amendment 8 Unreasonable bail or fines and cruel and unusual punishment are prohibited in the Eighth Amendment.

Powers Reserved to the States Amendment 9 The Ninth Amendment recognizes that Americans have rights that are not listed in the Constitution. Amendment 10 The Tenth Amendment says that the powers not given to the United States government by the Constitution belong to the states or to the people

Other Important Amendments! 14th (July 9, 1868) - Defined what it means to be a US citizen. It prohibits states from reducing the privileges of citizens and ensures each citizen the 'right to due process and the equal protection of the law'. 15th (February 3, 1870) - Gave all men the right to vote regardless of race or color or whether they had been slaves. 19th (August 18, 1920) - The 19th amendment gave women the right to vote. It's also called women's suffrage. 22nd (February 27, 1951) - Limited the president to a maximum of two terms or 10 years. 26th (July 1, 1971) - Set the national voting age at 18.