Amendments

Question 1

1st Amendment

Answer 1

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances - Adopted 12/15/1791 as part of the Bill of Rights

Question 2

2nd Amendment

Answer 2

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed - Adopted 12/15/1791 as part of the Bill of Rights

Question 3

3rd Amendment

Answer 3

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law - Adopted 12/15/1791 as part of the Bill of Rights

Question 4

4th Amendment

Answer 4

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized - Adopted 12/15/1791 as part of the Bill of Rights

Question 5

5th Amendment

Answer 5

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation - Ratified in 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights

Question 6

6th Amendment

Answer 6

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence - Ratified in 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights

Question 7

7th Amendment

Answer 7

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law - Ratified 12/15/1791 as part of the Bill of Rights

Question 8

8th Amendment

Answer 8

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted - Adopted 12/1791 as part of the Bill of Rights

Question 9

9th Amendment

Answer 9

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people - Adopted 12/1791 as part of the Bill of Rights

Question 10

10th Amendment

Answer 10

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people - Adopted 12/15/1791 as part of the Bill of Rights

Question 11

11th Amendment

Answer 11

The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State - Ratified 2/07/1795 to overrule the Supreme Court’s decision in Chisholm v. Georgia (1793) - Restricts the ability of individuals to bring suit against states in federal court (states have sovereign immunity)

Question 12

12th Amendment

Answer 12

The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President… The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then…the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President… - Ratified 6/15/1804, after the experiences of the 1796 y 1800 elections

Question 13

13th Amendment

Answer 13

Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction - Ratified 12/06/1865 as the first of the 3 Reconstruction Amendments

Question 14

14th Amendment

Answer 14

All persons born or naturalized in the United States…are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws… - Ratified 7/09/1868 as part of the Reconstruction Amendments - Contains 5 parts, but only the 1st is routinely litigated

Question 15

15th Amendment

Answer 15

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude - Ratified 2/03/1870 as the 3rd Reconstruction Amendment

Question 16

16th Amendment

Answer 16

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration - Ratified on 2/03/1913, after the Supreme Court had struck down a previous income tax in Pollock v. Farmer’s Loan y Trust (1895)

Question 17

17th Amendment

Answer 17

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote… - Ratified 4/08/1913 - Previously, senators were elected by state legislatures

Question 18

18th Amendment

Answer 18

The manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all the territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited… - Ratified 12/18/1917 as a result of efforts by the Temperance Movement - The Volstead Act was enacted in 1919 to carry out Prohibition - Later repealed by the 21st Amendment in 1933

Question 19

19th Amendment

Answer 19

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex - Ratified 8/18/1920

Question 20

20th Amendment

Answer 20

The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January… The Congress shall assemble at least once in every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3d day of January… If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President… - Ratified 1/23/1933, y designed to limit the Lame Duck period

Question 21

21st Amendment

Answer 21

The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed… - Ratified 12/05/1933 to repeal Prohibition y the 18th Amendment

Question 22

22nd Amendment

Answer 22

No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once - Ratified 2/27/1951, after Franklin Roosevelt’s four terms

Question 23

23rd Amendment

Answer 23

The District constituting the seat of Government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as the Congress may direct: A number of electors of President and Vice President equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a State, but in no event more than the least populous State… - Ratified 3/29/1961, making DC the lone entity other than the states to have any representation in the Electoral College

Question 24

24th Amendment

Answer 24

The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax - Ratified 1/23/1964 to abolish poll taxes generally used for racial discrimination

Question 25

25th Amendment

Answer 25

In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President…Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President… Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President - Ratified 2/10/1967

Question 26

26th Amendment

Answer 26

The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age - Ratified 7/01/1971, driven in large part by the military draft held during the Vietnam War

Question 27

27th Amendment

Answer 27

No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened - Ratified 5/05/1992, 202 years after its original proposal in 1789