AP Gov - Constitution Study Guide

24th Amendment

Abolition of poll taxes

13th Amendment

Abolition of slavery

10th Amendment

Any power not given to the federal government is given to the people and the states

Necessary and Proper Clause

Article 1 Section 8: Clause 18 Congress has the power to make all laws necessary and proper for carrying out all other powers granted by the Constitution

Commerce Clause

Article 1 Section 8: Clause 3 Congress has the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations, among states, and with Indian tribes

Bill of Attainder

Article I Section 9 Acts of legislation declaring a person or a group of people guilty of a crime and punishing them without a trial.

Ex Post Facto Laws

Article I Section 9 Laws that retroactively change the legal status or consequences of actions that were committed, or laws that change the rules of evidence to make conviction easier.

Habeus Corupus Clause

Article I Section 9 Federal courts use this Writ to bring a person before the court (hence produce the body) to determine if imprisonment is lawful

Full Faith and Credit Clause

Article IV Section 1 Addresses the duties that states have to respect the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state

Supremacy Clause

Article VI Federal Constitution and federal law take precedence over state laws and state constitutions

Powers denied to the states

Cannot make treaties Cannot raise their own armies/engage in war without Congress's consent

Powers denied to Congress

Cannot suspend the privilege of the Writ of Habeus Corpus Cannot pass a bill of attainder or exacto law

20th Amendment

Sets the dates at which federal government elected offices end and defines who succeeds the president if he dies in office

11th Amendment

Sovereign immunity; the federal government is immune from any criminal prosecution, civil suit, and cannot commit any legal wrongdoing

25th Amendment

Succession of offices of the president

Judicial branch over Legislative branch

Supreme Court declares laws unconstitutional (Article III Section 2)

Article VI

The Constitution is the law of the land. All treaties, laws, and rulings will be the supreme law, which no state law or otherwise can contradict. Senators and Representatives must take an oath to uphold the Constitution.

Executive branch over Judicial branch

The president appoints the Supreme Court Justices (Article II Section 2)

Executive branch over Legislative branch

The president can review every bill passed in Congress and can choose to approve or veto it (Article I Section 7)

23rd Amendment

Voters in Washington DC are given the right to vote for presidential electors

26th Amendment

Voting age: 18

15th Amendment

Voting rights for slaves

Article IV

Describes the rights of the individual states. Citizens in every state share the same rights, all states function under a republican form of government, and describes the process for admitting new states into the Union.

Article I

Design of the legislative branch. Important ideas include: separation of powers, checks and balances, election of members into Congress, how laws are made, and the powers of Congress

17th Amendment

Direct election of Senators

12th Amendment

Election procedures

Article III

Establishes a Supreme Court. States that the laws of the US are defined in the Constitution, and the Supreme Court has the power to settle disputes between individuals, states, and lower courts.

Legislative branch over Executive branch

Even if the president vetoes a bill, if 2/3 of the House and the Senate still vote for it, it becomes a law (Article I Section 7)

8th Amendment

Freedom from excessive bail and cruel/unusual punishment

4th Amendment

Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures, probable cause, cannot be arrested without a warrant

1st Amendment

Freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition

Article V

Grants Congress the power to amend the Constitution, if necessary, if 1/3 of Congress agrees OR 2/3 of the states can call a convention for proposing amendments.

9th Amendment

Guaranteed rights even if they are not listed in the Constituion

Eligibility requirements for the House

25 years of age 7 years a US citizen Must be an inhabitant of the state he/she chooses to represent

Eligibility requirements for the Senate

30 years of age 9 years a US citizen Must be an inhabitant of the state he/she chooses to represent

Eligibility requirements for the President

35 years of age Natural born citizen 14 years a US resident

Due Process Clauses

5th and 14th Amendments Implies fair treatment through the judicial system

Article VII

In order for the Constitution to be ratified and put into effect, 9 states much approve.

Judicial branch over Executive branch

Justices serve for life (cannot be fired) (Article III Section 1)

22nd Amendment

Limitation of a presidential term of office

27th Amendment

Limits the power of Congress to increase its own salaries

Article II

Places power in the hands of a president. Describes how he is elected, how many years he serves, requirements to become the president, and lists his powers

Expressed powers of the Vice President

President of the Senate

18th Amendment

Prohibition

21st Amendment

Repeal of prohibition

7th Amendment

Right to a jury trial in civil cases

5th Amendment

Right to a trial by jury (Habeus Corpus) , cannot be prosecuted twice for the same offense (double jeopardy), freedom from self-incrimination, due process

6th Amendment

Right to be informed of charges, right to call defense witnesses, right to have a lawyer

2nd Amendment

Right to bear arms

3rd Amendment

Right to not have to quarter soldiers (only really applied during the F&I War and the Revolution)

Equal Protection Clause

14th Amendment Implies that no state shall deny a person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws; the law applies the same way to everyone.

14th Amenment

Citizenship for slaves

Expressed powers of Congress

Collects taxes Declares War

Expressed powers of the President

Commander and Chief Supreme Court Appointments

16th Amendment

Congress can levy an income tax

Legislative branch over Judicial branch

Congress gets to approve the judiciary appointments (Article II Section 7)

19th Amendment

Women's suffrage