Name



THE US CONSTITUTION Available at: The United States Constitution was groundbreaking in numerous ways, establishing a new government, the likes of which the world had never seen. Indeed, the very features which made it unique have also contributed to its longevity. These features also define the framework of American government and politics, establishing the United States of America, its national government and outlining the relationships between that government, the people and the states.The most significant features of the U.S. Constitution are the establishment of the rule of law, the creation of a federal system with a supreme national government, the separation of governmental powers into three branches that check and balance each other, its flexibility and the establishment of a republican form of government.The Constitution is considered the supreme law of the land both because of its content and because its authority is derived from the people. The concepts and ideas of the Constitution are the "higher law" in the United States of America, things which a government cannot create or destroy. Among these concepts and ideas is the notion that the people are sovereign and that legitimate governments must be based on popular consent. Because the Constitution was ratified by the representatives of the people, it is a document, in both word and deed, created by and for "we the people."While the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, most of the specific, day-to-day rules and regulations that bring order to American society are not included in the Constitution itself. These "ordinary" laws are creations of the Congress, state legislatures and city councils. But the notion that laws are more important than the opinions of individual people--even important people--applies to these laws as well. In America, no one is considered to be above the law. In fact, deliberately trying to avoid the law through deception or bribery are crimes in and of themselves. Even a president who violates the law can be held accountable for doing so.from: on the meaning of the Constitution, what does it mean to you personally?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Directions: Read the US Constitution and complete the following questions directly on this handout. You can access an annotated version of the constitution at the following website: . Assignment adapted from: I: THE OVERALL STRUCTURE OF THE CONSTITUTIONRead each article of the Constitution. Summarize the general purpose or subject of each article in one sentence in the chart below.Article IArticle IIArticle IIIArticle IVArticle VArticle VIArticle VIICompare Article I with Article II. Which article is longer and more detailed? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Identify two powers denied from Congress in the Constitution. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________How does the House of Representatives determine the rules of proceedings (the ability to have debates, riders, etc) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Identify two powers the Constitution prohibits from the States. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What eligibility requirements does the Constitution establish for members of the House? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What eligibility requirements does the Constitution establish for members of the Senate? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What eligibility requirements does the Constitution establish for the President? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Why do you think the eligibility requirements are different for the House, Senate, and President?______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The powers of the Constitution that are specifically granted to the branches of government or to office holders are called express powers.Identify two express powers of the president. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What are the express powers of the vice president? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Identify two express powers of Congress. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________According to the principle of checks and balances, each branch of the government must have control over the other branches. Look at the first three articles of the Constitution and identify one of each type of checks and balances. Indicate where each power is listed in the Constitution. A power that the executive branch has over the legislative branch: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________This can be found in what article/section of the Constitution ________________A power that the executive branch holds over the judicial branch. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ This can be found in what article/section of the Constitution ________________A power that the legislative branch holds over the executive branch. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________This can be found in what article/section of the Constitution ________________A power that the legislative branch holds over the judicial branch. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________This can be found in what article/section of the Constitution ________________A power that the judicial branch holds over the executive branch. This can be found in what article/section of the Constitution ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________f. A power that the judicial branch holds over the legislative branch. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________This can be found in what article/section of the Constitution ________________The court of original jurisdiction is the first court that hears a case. Appellate courts hear cases on appeal from lower courts. Although the Supreme Court functions primarily as an appellate court, it is the courts of original jurisdiction in certain kinds of cases. What are those? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________According to Article I of the Constitution, who has the power to declare war?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What power does the Constitution give the President in the area of war?_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________PART III. MAJORITY AND SUPERMAJORITYThe Constitution requires a simple majority for some actions and a supermajority for others. A simple majority means more than half, while supermajority requirements can involve a 2/3 majority or a 3/4 majority. Most elections in the United States require a plurality, or the most votes, but not necessarily a majority. a. What bodies have the power to override a presidential veto? ________________________ b. What margin is required to override a presidential veto? ___________________________ c. Where in the Constitution is the veto power described? ____________________________ a. What body has the power to ratify treaties? ______________________________________ b. What margin is required to ratify treaties? ______________________________________ c. Where in the Constitution is the ratification power described? ______________________ To impeach means “to bring charges against” or “to indict”.What body has the power to impeach the president? ______________________________What vote is required to impeach? ____________________a. What body has the power to convict the president of charges brought against him in the impeachment process and thereby remove him from the presidency? _________________ b. What vote is required to convict and remove a president? ________________________ c. Where in the Constitution is the impeachment power described? _____________________a. What body has the power to accept or reject a president’s nominations to the Supreme Court? ______________________________________________________________What margins is required to elevate a president’s nominee to a seat on the Court? ______Where in the Constitution are judicial nominations described? _____________________What language is used to describe the roll of the Senate in Supreme Court nominations? ______________________________________________________________________ a. If no candidate for the presidency wins a simple majority of the total number of electoral votes, what body has the power to choose the president? __________________________b. What margin is required to choose the president? _______________________________c. Where in the Constitution is the Electoral College described? (Hint: there are two parts)The Constitution specifies a three-fourths majority for just one process. What process? _________________________________________________________________________The Constitution has comparatively little to say about the structure and composition of the Supreme Court. Identify two aspects of the Court’s structure and composition that the Constitution does not specify. (The Constitution does specify these two basic aspects of structure and composition for the other two branches). ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________List all parts of the Constitution that require a supermajority. For each, explain why you believe there is a supermajority requirement. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________See Article VI. Explain the supremacy clause in your own words. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What are two ways that amendments to the Constitution can be proposed? _______________What are two ways that amendments to the Constitution can be ratified? ________________Part III. THE AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTIONSome parts of the Constitution require a simple majority, others a supermajority, while still others protect citizens from the will of the majority. The first ten amendments to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights protect citizens from the will of the majority. In other words, no majority could vote to take these rights away. Read each amendment to the Constitution and answer the questions below. Outline the general purpose of all 27 Amendments.Amendment 1Amendment 2Amendment 3Amendment 4Amendment 5Amendment 6Amendment 7Amendment 8Amendment 9Amendment 10Amendment 11Amendment 12Amendment 13Amendment 14Amendment 15Amendment 16Amendment 17Amendment 18Amendment 19Amendment 20Amendment 21Amendment 22Amendment 23Amendment 24Amendment 25Amendment 26Amendment 27Which amendment(s) of the Constitution protect the rights of women? ____________ Summarize what that amendment(s) of the Constitution says:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Which amendment (s) of the Constitution protect the rights of African Americans? _______Summarize what that amendment(s) of the Constitution says. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________How were US Senators chosen before the Seventeenth Amendment? __________________Identify by number amendments thatExtended individual rights _________________________________Extended civil rights (including voting rights) _________________Prohibited certain practices by states ________________________Changed specific language in the Constitution _________________The Twenty-Fifth Amendment describes the sequence of events that would install the vice president as acting president against the will of the president. Outline that sequence of events.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________How many times is the word privacy mentioned in the Constitution (articles and amendments) _______________________________________________________________?Identify two terms in the Constitution that you do not understand. Look up the meanings of the terms and define them here. (Resource – )____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________After completing the assignment, revisit the first question, reflect on the meaning of the Constitution, has the meaning or importance of the Constitution changed for you?________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download