美国宪法第一条

未批准的修正案 美國宪法第一条确定由美国国会来作为美国联邦政府中的立法機關，包括其由联邦众议院和联邦参议院两院组成及两院议员的选举方式、任职资格、任期及人数等。同时还规定了立法程序，列举了立法机构的权力，最后还说明了联邦国会和各州相应权力的限制。把國會作為憲法第一條，代表國會至上的原則，而國會是國民的代表，有國民主權的意味。 All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. 宪法第一条第一款将联邦立法权完全赋予联邦国会。在宪法第二条与第三条中，也有类似条款将行政权赋予联邦总统，将司法权赋予联邦法庭。宪法的前三条共同构成了美国联邦政府三权分立的宪政基础，也即联邦政府的立法、行政、司法机构独立施行宪法所赋予的权力，并且不得侵犯另一机构的宪法权力，以此来维护对人民负责的有限政府。 宪法第一条关于国会立法权的规定中特别强调了三权分立的原则。宪法规定国会仅能就宪法第一条明文列出的事项施行立法权（并受到之后的第十修正案的进一步制约）。同时，国会也不得将立法权委任给政府的其他两个分支（行政分支和司法分支），这项原则被称为不得委任学说（nondelegation doctrine）。然而，最高法院通过案例确认国会有权将具体事务的监管权赋予个别行政机构，只要国会就此行政机构如何行使其权力制定了清晰的指导原则（intelligible principle）。 虽然宪法并未明文规定，但是国会早已事实拥有调查听证权，并且经由最高法院确认此权力为行使国会立法权所必须之附带权力。然而，最高法院同时也限制此调查听证权应当限于与国会立法有关而不可任意滥用。国会调查听证无可争议的经常对象之一就是联邦行政分支，然而国会能否强制总统或联邦政府官员提交文件或证词却充满了争议（见“行政豁免权”）。 在实际听证中，国会受限的听证权意味着国会不能对个体公民的私人生活进行调查听证。根据三权分立原则，对于个体公民的调查听证权力应当属于法院而非国会。不过，自大萧条以来，法院倾向于尊重国会的调查听证权，而非施加不必要的限制。 The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature. 因为联邦众议员由选民直接选举产生，所以当众议员议席出缺时，州长不能指定临时众议员，而应当根据第二款第四节之规定组织补选以填补此空缺。（相对的，联邦参议员出缺时，州长可指定临时参议员直至下次参议员选举。） 宪法制定时，并未明确指出公民拥有直接选举权。然而，宪法中明确规定了在州议会选举中拥有选举权的公民也拥有众议员的选举权。立宪先贤们借此清晰地表明了众议院应当由公民直接选举产生。 自南北战争以来，通过了若干个宪法修正案以阻止各州对于选民资格的不当限制。例如，宪法第十四修正案赋予所有美国公民以平等的选举权。第十五修正案禁止基于种族、肤色或之前为奴隶的经历而剥夺公民的选举权。第十九修正案禁止基于性别而剥夺公民的选举权，也即赋予妇女选举权。第二十四修正案禁止基于选举税而剥夺公民选举权。第二十六修正案则将选举权年龄降低至十八周岁。 最高法院认为选举权乃是基本人权之一，因此基于“平等保护条款”而对各州剥夺选举权的规定进行了异常严格的限定。对于选举权的认定仅基于是否为美国公民，居住于何州，以及年龄。 由于第三节规定每州都应选出至少一名众议员进入众议院代表本州，因此众议院中众议员数量并非严格正比于各州选民数量。因为众议院议席固定为435席，而若干小州的选民人数不足全国选民人数的1/435，然而这些小州也会选出一名众议员，相当于小州“侵夺”了大州的一些众议员名额。然而，最高法院也裁定若任何州选举产生多名众议员，则在该州内各联邦众议员选区之人口应当基本相等。 No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen. 宪法中对众议员的代表资格做了三条规定：至少25岁，在一州当选时必须是该州公民，并且之前7年必须是美国公民。宪法中并没有规定议员必须是其所代表的具体选区的公民，不过实际情况上除一些少数例外情况外通常如此。 Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse（原文如此） three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three. When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies. The House of Representatives shall chuse（原文如此） their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment. The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote. Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third may be chosen every second Year; and if Vacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwise, during the Recess of the Legislature of any State, the Executive thereof may make temporary Appointments until the next Meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill such Vacancies. No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen