The United States Constitutiontext
Preamble: "We the People..."
Constitutional Party
Economy: return to a monetary/banking provision set up by the Constitution and abolish the Federal Reserve System
Health Care: oppose the government control and bureaucratization of American Medicine
Terrorism: terrorism is an excuse for the federal government to spend more money than its income, expand its bureaucracy, and socialize the nation through taxpayer bailouts of airlines
War in the Middle East: we should stay in our own affairs unless there is a foreign force that threatens our national security
Article I [The Legislative Branch]
Immigration: the mass population of illegal immigrants who have been provided public services such as housing and millions of jobs are a burden and drain on the US treasury
Article II [The Presidency]
Article III [The Judiciary]
Article IV [The States]
Article V [The Amendment Process]
Article VI [Legal Status of the Constitution]
Article VII [Ratification]
Bill of Rights
1st Amendment: Freedom of speech, press, assembly, and petition (1791)
Signers
2nd Amendment: Right to bear arms (1791)
New Hampshire: John Langdon, Nicholas Gilman
G. Washington- Presidt. and deputy from Virginia
3rd Amendment: no quartering of soldiers (1791)
New Jersey: Wil: Livingston, David Brearly, Wm. Paterson, Jona: Dayton
Pennsylvania: B. Franklin, Thomas Mifflin, Robt. Morris, Geo. Clymer, Thos. FitzSimons, Jared Ingersoll, James Wilson, Gouv Morris
Delaware: Geo: Read, Gunning Bedford jun, John Dickinson, Richard Bassett, Jaco: Broom
Massachusetts: Nathaniel Gorham, Rufus King
Maryland: James McHenry, Dan of St Thos. Jenifer, Danl Carroll
Connecticut: Wm: Saml. Johnson, Roger Sherman
Virginia: John Blair--, James Madison Jr.
New York: Alexander Hamilton
4th Amendment: Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures (1791)
5th Amendment: Right to due process of law, freedom from self-incrimination, double jeopardy (1791)
North Carolina: Wm. Blount, Richd. Dobbs Spaight, Hu Williamson
South Carolina: J. Rutledge, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Charles Pinckney, Pierce Butler
Georgia: William Few, Abr Baldwin
6th Amendment: Right of accused persons, right to a speedy and public trial (1791)
Section 1: All legislative powers given to Congress, which consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.
7th Amendment: right by trial by jury in civil cases (1791)
8th Amendment: Freedom from excessive bail, cruel, and unusual punishments (1791)
9th Amendment: other rights of the people (1791)
10th Amendment: powers reserved to the states (1791)
Sec 2: House of Rep Requirements: selected from states every 2 years, based on state population, at least 25 years old, 7 yrs citizen
Sec. 3: Senate: each state has 2 Senators, seated for 6 years, each Senator has one vote, at least 30 yrs old, citizen for 9 years, Vice President is President of the Senate and is the tie breaker in voting
Sec. 4 [Elections of Senators and Representatives]
Sec. 5 [Rules of House and Senate]
Sec 6 [Compensation and Privileges of Members]
Sec. 7 [Passage of Bills]
Sec 8 [Scope of Legislative Power]
Sec 9 [Limits on Legislative Power]
Sec 10 [Limits on States]
Sec 2 [Presidential Power]
Sec 3 [State of the Union, Receive Ambassadors, Laws Faithfully Executed, Commission Officers]
Sec 4 [Impeachment]
Sec 1 [Election, Installation, Removal]
Sec 1 [Judicial Power Vested]
Sec 2 [Scope of Judicial Power]
Sec 3 [Treason]
Sec 1 [Full Faith and Credit]
Sec 2 [Privileges and Immunities, Extradiction, Fugitive Slaves]
Sec 3 [Admission of States]
Sec 4 [Guarantees to States]
Remaining Amendments (11-27)
19th Amend
20th Amend
18th Amend
21st Amend
17th Amend
22nd Amend
16th Amend
15th Amend
14th Amend
13th Amend
12th Amend
11th Amend
23rd Amend
24th Amend
25th Amend
26th Amend
27th Amend
Suits Against a State (1795)
Election of President and Vice-President (1804)
Abolition of Slavery (1865)
Privileges and Immunities, Due Process, Equal Protection, Apportionment of Representatives, Civil War Disqualification and Debt (1868)
Rights Not to Be Denied on Account of Race (1870)
Income Tax (1913)
Election of Senators (1913)
Prohibition (1919)
Women's Right to Vote (1920)
Presidential Term and Succession (1933)
Repeal of Prohibition (1933)
Two Term Limit on President (1951)
Presidential Vote in D.C. (1961)
Poll Tax (1964)
Presidential Succession (1967)
Right to Vote at Age 18 (1971)
Compensation of Members of Congress (1992)
Court Cases
Equality is not in the original Constitution, first mention of equality in 14th Amendment
Brown v. Board of Education: school segregation inherently unconstitutional
Lawrence v. Texas: private homosexual acts are protected by the Constitution
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke: racial set asides unconstitutional
United Steelworks v. Weber: quotas to remedy discrimination are constitutional
Adarand Constructors v. Penna: to be constitutional, affirmative action must be "narrowly tailored" to meet a "compelling governmental interest"
Near v. Minnesota: prior restraint is unconstitutional
4th, 5th, and 6th Defendant's rights
Probable cause: when the police have reason to believe that a person should be arrested
Unreasonable searches and seizures: evidence is obtained in a haphazard or random manner, prohibited by the 4th Amendment
Exclusionary Rule: the rule that evidence, no matter how incriminating, cannot be introduced into trial if it was not constitutionally obtained
Gregg v. Georgia: death penalty does not violate cruel and unusual punishment clause in 8th Amendment
Griswold v. Connecticut: right to privacy not directly stated in the constitution by implied in the 4th and 9th Amendments
Marbury v. Madison: courts determine constitutionality of acts of Congress
Origins of the Constitution
Constitution: a nation’s basic law that creates political institutions, assigns, or divides powers in government and often provides certain guarantees to citizens
Sets the broad rules of the game. It establishes who’s in power and the limits on that power
Guiding Principle for USA Constitution was limited government and self-determination
Individual rights in the Constitution
Prohibits suspension of writ of habeas corpus
No bills of attainder
No ex post facto laws
Religious qualifications for holding office prohibited
Strict rules of evidence for conviction of treason
Right to trial by jury in criminal cases
Engel v. Vitale: Prayer in public schools violates Establishment Clause