1. CONSTITUTION NOTES

2. First, the basics… 7 Articles (that’s the big ideas) 27 Amendments (things that have changed over the years)
any addition to the Constitution is called an amendment
the 1st 10 amendments are called the Bill of Rights

3. A few notable amendments:
Civil War amendments:
13th : prohibited slavery
14th: gave citizenship to African-Americans (also due process, equal protection clauses)
15th – gave African American males the right to vote

4. 17th Amendment
direct election of Senators – previously Senators had been chosen by state legislators

5. 18th Amendment
Prohibition – only amendment to be repealed

6. Extension of voting rights – note the groups that were not included in the original Constitution
15th – gave African American males the right to vote
19th – gave women the right to vote
26th – gave 18 yr. olds the right to vote

7. 7 basic principles included in the Constitution:
popular sovereignty – notion that people are the only legitimate source of power
representative government – people elect representatives to make political decisions
limited government – rule of law; gov’t may do only what citizens allow

8. 4. separation of powers
executive – President – law-executing
legislative – Congress – law-making
judicial – courts – law-interpreting
5. checks and balances – each branch is restrained by the others
examples:
Congress can remove judges through impeachment
Congress can override a presidential veto

9. checks and balances continued…
President can veto legislation
President appoints Supreme Court justices (& other federal judges)
Supreme Court can declare Presidential acts unconstitutional
Supreme Court can declare acts of Congress unconstitutional
6. judicial review – courts have power to declare any gov’t action unconstitutional
7. federalism – division of authority between states and national gov’t

10. Amending the Constitution
formal changes happen 4 ways (changing written words):
2/3 vote in each House + ¾ state legislatures (used most often
proposed by Congress + ¾ state legislatures (only used once)
3. national convention, called by Congress, requested by 2/3 states (never used)
4. proposed by national convention, ratified by ¾ state conventions

11. Informal ways – without changing any of the written words; is the key to vitality of the Constitution
passage of basic legislation by Congress
executive agreement – pact made by the president with head of another nation
Court decisions – Woodrow Wilson said, “… a constitutional convention in continuous session.”
party practices – G. Washington warned against parties; no mention of parties in Constitution
custom –
Cabinet officials – not mentioned in Constitution
succession to the President – not mentioned in Constitution prior to 25th Amendment
limited terms prior to 22nd Amendment

12. The one restriction the Constitution places on the subjects with which proposed amendments may deal…
Nothing may change equal representation in the Senate.

13. How many resolutions calling for amendments have been sent to the States, and how many have been finally ratified?
33 sent
27 ratified
Term to remember:
extradition: to return fugitives from the law across state lines