Sevak Kazaryan

Mr. Sarquiz
AP. US Government

Constitution Project

Six Purposes of the U.S. Government (Preamble)

1. Form a more perfect nation

2. Establish Justice (Laws)

3. Insure domestic peace (within borders)

4. Provide for common defense (protect citizens)

5. Promote general well-being

6. Secure Blessing of Liberty to ourselves and future generations (“lock-in” security)

 7 Articles of the Constitutions
Article Topic
1 Legislative Branch
2 Executive Branch
3 Judicial Branch
4 States
5 Amendment Process
6 Debts, Supremacy, Oaths
7 Ratification Process
Section Topics
1. Legislature
2. House
3. Senate
4. Meetings, Elections
5. Journals, Rules,
Adjournment
6. Compensation(Pay)
7. Presidential Veto,
Legislative Process
8. Powers of Congress
9. Limits of Congress
10. Prohibited State Powers
1. President
2. Presidential Powers
3. Congress, State of the
Union
4. Removal(Impeachment)
of President
1. Judicial Powers
2. Trials by Jury,
Original Jurisdiction
3. Treason
1. States honor laws of
other states
2. State Citizens
3. New States
4. Republican
Government
 27 Amendments

Amendment Main Idea Year Ratified

1. Freedom of religion, speech, 1791
press, assembly
2. Right to bear arms 1791
3. Quartering troops in private 1791
homes
4. Prohibition against 1791
unreasonable searches and
seizures
5. Right when accused: “due- 1791
process” clause
6. Rights when on trial 1791
7. Common-law suits 1791
8. Bail: no “cruel and unusual” 1791
punishments
9. Unenumerated rights protected 1791
10. Powers reserved for states 1791
11. Limits on suits against states 1795
12. Revision of electoral-college 1804
procedure
13 Slavery prohibited 1865
14. Ex-slaves made citizens 1868
15. Blacks given right to vote 1870
16. Authorizes federal income tax 1913
17. Requires popular election of 1913
senators
18. Prohibits manufacture and sale 1919
of liquor
19. Right to vote for women 1920
20. Federal terms of office to 1933
begin in January
21. Repeals Prohibition 1933
22. Two-term limit for president 1951
23. Right to vote for president in 1961
District of Columbia
24. Prohibits poll taxes in federal 1964
elections
25. Presidential disability and 1967
succession
26. Voting age lowered to 1971
eighteen
27 Congressional pay raises 1992
Constitutional powers of federal government, state government, and concurrent powers

Federal Concurrent State

 Coin money
 Conduct foreign
relations
 Regulate commerce
with foreign nations
and among states
 Provide an army and a
navy
 Declare war
 Establish courts
inferior to Superior
Court
 Establish post offices
 Make laws necessary
and proper to carry out
the foregoing powers
 Tax
 Borrow money
 Establish courts
 Make and enforce laws
 Charter banks and
corporations
 Spend money for
general welfare
 Take private property
for public purposes,
with just compensation
 Establish local
governments
 Regulate commerce
within a state
 Conduct elections
 Ratify amendments to
the federal
Constitution
 Take measures for
public health, safety,
and morals
 Exert powers the
Constitution does not
delegate to the national
government or prohibit
the states from using

Powers denied by the Constitutions to the federal government, state government, and
concurrent denied powers

Federal Concurrent State

 Tax articles exported
from one state to
another
 Violate Bill of Rights
 Change state
boundaries
 Grants titles of nobility  Tax imports or exports
 Permit slavery( 13th  Coin money
Amendment)  Enter into treaties
 Deny citizens right to  Impair obligations of
vote because of race, contracts
color, or previous  Abridge privileges or
servitude(15th immunities of citizens
Amendment) or deny due process
 Deny citizens right to and equal protection of
vote because of the law(14th
gender(19th Amendment)
Amendment)
 Amendment Ratification Process

The Constitution sets up two alternative routes for proposing amendments and two for ratifying
them. Only one of the four combinations has been used in every case but one.

Route/Method 1:
 Congress proposes amendment by a 2/3 vote in each house
 State legislatures ratify amendment by vote of ¾ of the states

Route/Method 2:
 National Convention proposes amendment requested by 2/3 of the states
 States legislatures or Statements ratify amendment by vote of ¾ of the states

Combinations

• Proposal by National Convention, Ratified by state conventions (never used)

• Proposal by National Convention, Ratified by state legislatures (never used)
• Proposal by Congress, Ratified by state conventions (used once in 21st Amendment)
• Proposal by Congress, Ratified by state legislatures (used all other times)