US Constitution

avatar
Created by
Lahaina Sutherland

Cards (18)

  • The US Constitution is codified. This means that it is contained in a single document, making it easily accessible.
  • The US Constitution is entrenched. This means that its amendment process is located within the constitution, making it difficult to amend, but protected from unnecessary amendments.
  • The US Constitution can be amended by a 2/3 supermajority in Congress and 3/4 vote of States. Article V outlines the amendment process.
  • The US Constitution contains a Bill of Rights (first ten Amendments) which protect individual rights against government interference.
  • The US Constitution provides for checks and balances between the three branches of government.
  • The US Constitution has an independent judiciary with power to declare laws unconstitutional.
  • The US Constitution has been interpreted over time through Supreme Court decisions and other legal precedents.
  • The US Constitution creates a system of separation of powers among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
  • The vagueness of the US Constitution means that it can be interpreted in a way to fit modern situations.
  • II Amendment gives US citizens the right to bear arms.
  • 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments ended slavery and expanded voting rights regardless of race.
  • 19th Amendment expanded voting rights regardless of sex.
  • 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to 18.
  • Article I of the Constitution forbids any one person from holding office in more than one branch at any time, to prevent an individual from gaining too much power. This is known as the ineligibility clause.
  • Federalism is a system of shared sovereignty, where the federal government would have authority over some aspects of political life while states would remain sovereign over others.
  • Since the constitution is codified, it is judiciable. This means that judges can interpret actions and laws against the Constitution and judge whether or not they are ‘constitutional’.
  • Since its creation, the US Constitution has had 27 amendments, the first ten being the Bill of Rights.
  • Devolution in the US is symmetrical. This is because the states all have equal legislative powers.