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