United States Constitution

The **United States Constitution** is the supreme law of the United States.The Constitution, originally comprising seven articles, delineates the national frame of government. Its first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, whereby the federal government is divided into three branches: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Congress (Article One); the executive, consisting of the President (Article Two); and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts (Article Three). Articles Four, Five and Six embody concepts of federalism, describing the rights and responsibilities of state governments, the states in relationship to the federal government, and the shared process of constitutional amendment. Article Seven establishes the procedure subsequently used by the thirteen States to ratify it. It is regarded as the oldest written and codified national constitution in force.

## The Amendments

### ~~1st Amendment~~

~~Prohibits Congress from making any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the right to petition the government.~~

### ~~2nd Amendment~~

~~Protects the right to keep and bear arms.~~

### ~~**3rd Amendment**~~

~~**Places restrictions on the quartering of soldiers in private homes.**~~

### 4th Amendment

Prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures and sets out requirements for search warrants based on probable cause.

### 5th Amendment

Sets out rules for indictment by grand jury and eminent domain, protects the right to due process, and prohibits self-incrimination and double jeopardy.

### ~~6th Amendment~~

~~Protects the right to a fair and speedy public trial by jury, including the rights to be notified of the accusations, to confront the accuser, to obtain witnesses and to retain counsel.~~

### ~~**7th Amendment**~~

~~**Provides for the right to trial by jury in certain civil cases, according to common law.**~~

### 8th Amendment

Prohibits excessive fines and excessive bail, as well as cruel and unusual punishment.

### 9th Amendment

Protects rights not enumerated in the Constitution.

### 10th Amendment

Reinforces the principle of federalism by stating that the federal government possesses only those powers delegated to it by the states or the people through the Constitution.

### 11th Amendment

Makes states immune from suits from out-of-state citizens and foreigners not living within the state borders; lays the foundation for sovereign immunity.

### 12th Amendment

Revises presidential election procedures by having the president and vice president elected together as opposed to the vice president being the runner up in the presidential election.

### 13th Amendment

Abolishes slavery, and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime.

### 14th Amendment

Defines citizenship, contains the Privileges or Immunities Clause, the Due Process Clause, the Equal Protection Clause, and deals with post–Civil War issues.

### ~~15th Amendment~~

~~Prohibits the denial of the right to vote based on race, color or previous condition of servitude.~~

### 16th Amendment

Permits Congress to levy an income tax without apportioning it among the various states or basing it on the United States Census.

### 17th Amendment

Establishes the direct election of United States Senators by popular vote.

### ~~18th Amendment~~

~~Prohibited the manufacturing or sale of alcohol within the United States.~~

### 19th Amendment

Prohibits the denial of the right to vote based on sex.

### 20th Amendment

Changes the date on which the terms of the president and vice president and of members of Congress end and begin (to January 20 and January 3 respectively).

### 21st Amendment

Repeals the 18th Amendment and makes it a federal offense to transport or import intoxicating liquors into U.S. states and territories where such transport or importation is prohibited by the laws of those states and territories.

### 22nd Amendment

Limits the number of times that a person can be elected president: a person cannot be elected president more than twice, and a person who has served more than two years of a term to which someone else was elected cannot be elected more than once.

### 23rd Amendment

Grants the District of Columbia electors (the number of electors being equal to the least populous state) in the Electoral College.

### 24th Amendment

Prohibits the revocation of voting rights due to the non-payment of a poll tax or any other tax.

### 25th Amendment

Addresses succession to the Presidency and establishes procedures both for filling a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, as well as responding to Presidential disabilities.

### 26th Amendment

Prohibits the denial of the right of US citizens, eighteen years of age or older, to vote on account of age.

### 27th Amendment

Delays laws affecting Congressional salary from taking effect until after the next election of representatives.

### 28th Amendment

Prohibits the use of a workforce comprised of over 90% robots.

### 29th Amendment

Prohibits the personal use of narcotics within the United States.