The Constitution Worksheet PDF

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The Constitution Worksheet

S19

Instructions: Use the “Senate Publication 103-21 (see module) to complete this worksheet. Once you have located all items, proceed to the “final exam” quiz. Article I

The Legislative Branch

This section establishes Congress which consists of the ____Senate___ and __House of Representatives_______.

Representatives must be _25_ years old and serve _2_year terms. As of 1911, the number of Representatives in the House has been fixed at _435__. Membership in the House is apportioned according to the __population__ of the states. Every state must have at least one House seat. _Larger____ states will have many more representatives. Every _ten__ years, after the census has been taken, House districts are reapportioned to reflect their changing population. Senators must be _30_ years old and serve _6_year terms. Each state has _2_ Senators regardless of population. Originally, senators were chosen by_state legislators__. In 1913 the ___17th amendment provided that senators would be directly elected by the people. The __Vice President of the United States is the President of the Senate. The ___House of Representatives_ has the sole Power of Impeachment. Once the House votes to impeach, the Senate_ conducts a trial to determine whether to convict or acquit. A _two-thirds_ vote is necessary to remove the individual from office. The _Chief Justice_ of the United States presides over the impeachment trial of a president. Article 1 Section 7 describes how a bill becomes a law. All bills relating to _Revenue__ must originate in the House of Representatives. In order for a bill to become a law it must pass both chambers of Congress with a _two-thirds_ vote and is then presented to the _president__ for signature. According to Article 1, Section 8 Congress has the following powers: The power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for common defense and general welfare of the united states To borrow money on the credit of the United States To regulate commerce with foreign nations To establish an uniform rule of naturalization and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies To coin money To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin To establish post offices and post roads

The Constitution Worksheet

S19

To promote the progress of science and useful arts To constitute tribunals inferior to supreme court To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal and make rules To raise and support armies To provide and maintain a navy To make rules for the government and regulation To provide for calling forth the militia To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution

Article II

The Executive Branch

This section establishes conditions for the ___President of the United States______. The President must be a _natural born__ citizen, at least __35_ years old and serves for _4_ years. The President is limited to _2_ terms (based on the _22nd _ amendment). The President is elected based on the _______________ rather than popular vote.

According to Article II, Section 2 the President has the following powers: The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States. The power to make treaties by the advice and consent of the senate provided two thirds of the senators are present. The power to fill up all vacancies that may happen during the recess of the senate by granting commissions which shall expire at the end of their next session.

According to Article II, Section 3 it is the duty of the President to deliver an annual address to Congress known as the ____State of the Union______.

The Constitution Worksheet Article III

S19 The Judicial Branch

The Judicial power of the United States is vested in the ___Supreme Court____. The Constitution makes no mention of _judicial review__, the right of the Supreme Court to declare federal and state laws unconstitutional. The Court asserted this right in the case of __Marbury v. Madison____.

Article IV

Relations Among the States

According to the __Full Faith and Credit Clause/public acts, records, and judicial proceedings__ , each state is required to recognize the laws and records of other states. The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all ___Privileges and Immunites_____ of Citizens in other states.

Article V

Amendments

There are two ways in which the Constitution can be amended: Method 1 (standard): Both houses of Congress to pass by two/thirds vote a propels, which they sent to the states for ratification, either by legislatures or by conventions within the states. It is ratified when 3/4s of the states approve. Method 2: When two thirds of the sates petition Congress for such a convention, to propose amendments, which would also have to be ratified by three quarters of the states

Article VI

Constitutional Supremacy

The "__supremacy_ clause" is the most important guarantor of national union. It assures that the Constitution and federal laws and treaties take precedence over state law and binds all judges to adhere to that principle in their courts. Article VII

Ratification

Only _9_ out of _13_ states were required to ratify the Constitution despite the fact that the Constitutional Convention met under the Government of the _Articles of Confederation__, which required unanimous assent of all 13 states to change any provisions of the Articles. The Bill of Rights Places Limits on Congress (I) Amendment 1:

What are the first words of the first amendment?

The Constitution Worksheet

S19 Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof What are the five freedoms included in the first amendment? Freedom of Speech, freedom of religion, freedom of press, freedom of assembly, freedom to petition the government

Places Limits on the Executive Branch (II, III, IV) Amendment 2:

What was the purpose of this amendment? To protect individual’s right to own firearms

Amendment 3:

What was the purpose of this amendment? A response to anger over British military practice of quartering soldiers in colonists’ homes

Amendment 4:

What was the purpose of this amendment? It requires a warrant, applying to arrests and to searches of persons, homes, and other private places

Places Limits on the Judicial Branch (V, VI, VII, VIII) Amendment 5:

What was the purpose of this amendment? Indictment by a grand jury requires the decision of ordinary citizens to place one in danger of conviction

Amendment 6:

What was the purpose of this amendment? Defendants in criminal cases are entitled to public trials that follow relatively soon after initiation of the charges

Amendment 7:

What was the purpose of this amendment? The right to jury trial in civil cases

Amendment 8:

What was the purpose of this amendment? Neither bail nor punishment for a crime to be unreasonably severe

Places Limits on the National Government (IX, X) Amendment 9:

What was the purpose of this amendment?

The Constitution Worksheet

S19 Failure of the constitution to mention a specific right does not mean that the government can abridge that right, but its protection can be found elsewhere

Amendment 10:

What was the purpose of this amendment? The federal government is the recipient of constitutionally delegated powers. What is not delegated remains in the states or in the people How is the 10th amendment relevant to federalism?

It makes the power shared by both the federal government and the state government

Other Important Amendments What was the purpose of the following amendments? Amendment 13, 14 and 15 (Civil War Amendments) The 13th amendment abolished slavery. The 14th amendment declared that every person born or naturalized in the U.S. is a citizen. The 15th amendment protects the right of African americans to vote. Amendment 16 It authorized a tax on income Amendment 17 Provides senators to be elected the way members of the house are – by direct election of the people Amendment 18 Prohibition Amendment 19 Established a uniform rule for all states to follow in guaranteeing women the right to vote Amendment 21 Repeals Prohibition Currently there are a total of _27__ amendments to the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights....