The Constitution of the United States
A Very Brief Guide
The US Constitution consists of seven articles and 27 amendments. The original seven articles took effect in 1789. The 27 amendments were added to the Constitution from 1791 to 1992. The first ten amendments were enacted in 1791; they are often called "the bill of rights." It is very likely that more amendments will be added.
The Original Constitution

1. Establishes and defines the powers of Congress, the legislative branch. Congress is divided into two houses:

1) the House of Representatives, in which each state is represented according to its population;
2) the Senate, in which each state has two senators.
2. Establishes the presidency.
3. Establishes the court system, including the Supreme Court and other courts that Congress establishes.
4. Says that each state must give "full faith and credit" to the laws of other states.
5. Explains how to amend the Constitution.
6. Establishes the Constitution as the "supreme law of the land."
7. Says that if nine of the 13 states ratifies the Constitution, it will take effect.
The Amendments to the Constitution
     

The passage of first ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, was a promise made to opponents of the constitution who feared it would give too much power to a central government at the expense of individual liberties.
1. Establishes freedom of:
   
 
  • Religion
  • Speech
  • Press
  • Assembly
  • Petitioning the government
 
2. Establishes right of states to have militias and to "keep and bear arms." The right of individual citizens to "keep and bear arms" is not mentioned in the Constitution.

3. The government cannot quarter any soldier in a person's house during peacetime without the owner's permission and in wartime except in a manner prescribed by law.

4. Freedom from "unreasonable searches and seizures."

  

5. Protection from:

    
 
  • Double jeopardy
  • Self-incrimination
  • Private property taken without just compensation

6. Right to a "speedy and public trial by an impartial jury." Right to a lawyer at a trial.

7. Right to jury trial in civil suits.

  

8. Protection from excessive bail and "cruel and unusual punishments."

9. Provision that the enumeration of certain rights in the Constitution does not imply that there are not other rights.

10. Powers not given to the United States and not prohibited to the states, are reserved to the states or to the people.

11. An amendment clarifying the judicial power of the United States.
12. The system of electing the president through the Electoral College is revised. The system adopted in this amendment in 1804 is still in use today.
13. Abolishes slavery. It was enacted during the Civil War
14. This amendment was enacted in 1868. It has several provisions; the most important ones are:
 
  • It makes all people who were born or naturalized in the US citizens. The main effect is to make former slaves citizens.
  • It guarantees the right to vote to all male citizens aged 21 or more (except for former rebels). The main purpose was to give the vote to former slaves. This provision was not enforced in the South until 1965.
  • It also says that any state may not deny to any person under its jurisdiction "the equal protection of the laws." This provision was later used to apply the guarantees of the bill of rights to the states. Before this amendment, the guarantees were applied only to the national government.

15. Gives citizens the right to vote regardless of "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." The goal of this amendment was to give former slaves the right to vote; it is more explicit than the 14th Amendment. It was not enforced in the South until 1965.
16. Gives the national government the right to establish an income tax. Before this amendment, a national income tax was illegal.
17. Changes the way senators are elected. Before this amendment, senators were elected by state legislatures. Since this amendment was enacted in 1913, senators have been elected directly by the people, the same as members of the House of Representatives.
18. Establishes prohibition-the sale and consumption of virtually all alcoholic beverages are outlawed.
19. Gives women the right to vote in national and state elections.
20. Changes the day of the beginning of the president's term from March 4 to January 20 and Congress's term from March 4 to January 3. The main effect is to end the Congressional session that had formerly met between January and March, which had included many representatives and senators who had not been re-elected the previous November
21. Abolishes prohibition.
22. Prohibits any person from being elected president more than twice (the two-term limit)
23. Gives three electoral votes to Washington, D.C. Before this amendment, the citizens of Washington, D.C. could not vote for president. (They still do not have any representatives or senators in Congress, although they do have one non-voting delegate in the House of Representatives.)
24. Outlaws the poll tax. Before this amendment was enacted in 1964, many states charged a fee (a poll tax) to vote.
25. Changes presidential succession. Before this amendment was enacted in 1967, when a president died, the vice-president took his office, but there was no longer a vice president. With the enactment of this amendment, the new president can appoint a vice president. There are also provisions for presidential disability.
26. Gives the vote to all citizens 18 years old or older.
27. Provides that no congressional pay raise may take effect until one congressional election shall have intervened.