Getting to Know your Constitution

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We the PeopleIn their first attempt, the Constitutional Congress created the ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION which they ratified in 1781. The Articles existed for only six years before a new Constitution was proposed in 1787. The Constitution is made up of the following parts…

Preamble

Article 1

Article 2

Article 3

Article 4

Article 5

Article 6

Article 7

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Articles of Confederation

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Approved in 1781, the Articles established a limited national government. Most of the political power lay with the states. The Articles only had one branch (a legislative branch) made up of delegates from the states. This branch carried out the duties of both the legislative and executive branches leaving

each state to maintain its own court system.

Preamble

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“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Alexander Hamilton was a big

advocate of the

Constitution

Article 1

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Section 1: “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”

Section 2: Qualifications for the House of

Representatives

Section 3: Qualifications for

the senate

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Section 8: New duties for the federal government

House of Representatives

“Members shall be chosen every second year”

“No person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained the age of twenty five year and have been seven years a citizen of the United States, and be an inhabitant of the State in which he shall be chosen”

“The number of representatives shall not exceed one of every Thirty Thousand, but each state shall have at least one Representative”

“The House of Representatives shall have the sole power of Impeachment.”

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Senate

“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”

“No person shall be a senator who shall not have attained the age of thirty years, and been nine years a citizen of the United States, and must be an inhabitant of the State for which he shall be chosen”

“The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate BUT shall have no vote unless they be equally divided”

Senate shall h

ave

the sole Power to

try all

impeachments

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Thank you Section 8…Section 8, Article 1 of the Constitution helped solve many of the problems that had plagued the Articles of Confederation.

Articles of Confederation Constitution (Article 1, Section 8)“Congress shall have the power to…”

Congress had to petition the States for money

Lay and collect TAXES, duties, imposts,…

Each state had its own army and navy Raise and support Armies,… maintain a Navy,… calling forth the militia…

Congress can not regulate either foreign trade or interstate commerce

Coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin

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Article 2: The EXECUTIVE Branch

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The President

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The Vice President

The President“He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, …”

“The President.. Shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, TREASON, BRIBERY, or other High CRIMES and MISDEMEANORS

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a

Citizen of the United States, at the time of the

Adoption of this Constitution, shall be

eligible to the Office of President; neither shall

any person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a

Resident within the United States. The President shall be

commander and Chief of the army and Navy

“Appoint foreign Ambassadors…”

“Has the power to VETO a Bill passed by congress”

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The Vice PresidentIn Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.

* According to Article 1, the Vice President is the President of the Senate

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Article 3

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THE JUDICIAL BRANCH

Qualifications: ??

(There are NO constitutional requirements)

Types of Cases:• Affecting Ambassadors• Admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction• Controversies between two or more

states• A State and a citizen of another State• Citizens of different states• A State and foreign States

What is Judicial Review?

Judicial Review =

The power of the courts to declare a law or an act of the executive unconstitutional

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Article 4

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Section 1: “Full faith and credit shall be given in each

State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial

Proceedings of every other State.

Section 2: The Citizens of each

State shall be entitled to all privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.

Section 3: New

States may be

admitted

Section 4: the United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union

a Republican Form of Government

Article 5

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Lets make new Amendments!!

“The Congress, whenever TWO THIRDS of BOTH Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution.”

Article 6

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“The Constitution and laws of the United States are ‘the Supreme law of the land’”

Article 7

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The Ratification of the Conventions of NINE States, shall

be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution

between the States

Quiz

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Please read each question carefully before answering!

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Q1:How long are the terms for a

Senator and a Representative?

A. Senator 2 years, Representative 4 years

B. Senators 6 years, Representatives 2 years

C. Senators 2 years, Representatives 6 years

D. Senators 4 years, Representatives 2 years

CORRECT

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Q2:How long are the terms for the President and Vice President?

A. 4 years for both

B. President for 4 years and Vice President for 2 years

C. President for 4 years and Vice President for 8 years

D. 8 years for both

Q 3:What qualifications are needed to be a Supreme Court judge?

A. Must be Citizen of the United States and a Lawyer.

B. No qualifications required by the ConstitutionC. Must have five years experience as a lower court judge

D. Must be a Senator or Representative

Q 4:Which article deals with making new amendments?

A. Article 5

B. Article 6

C. Article 7

D. Article 8

FINISHED!!