Constitutional Amendments

1
Constitutional Amendments

• 11-27

2
11th amendment

• Ratified 1795
• Citizens cannot sue the state, but can sue state
  representatives
• Commonly used by prisoners (today)

3
12th amendment

• Ratified 1804
• Establishes the ELECTORAL COLLEGE
• Before this amendment it used to be that the top
  vote-getter was president and 2nd place was VP

4
13th Amendment

• One of the Three Civil War Amendments
• Ratified 1865
• Abolished Slavery

5
14th amendment

• One of the Three Civil War Amendments
• Ratified 1868
• Equal Protection under the Law
• African Americans and Native Americans given U.S.
  citizenship
• All citizens must be treated equally
• Established Due Process to the States

6
15th amendment

• One of the Three Civil War Amendments
• Ratified 1870
• African American Suffrage
• You cannot be denied the right to vote based on
  RACE
• No mention of women

7
16th Amendment

• Progressive Era
• Ratified 1913
• Congress has the power to collect and lay taxes
  on your income

8
17th amendment

• Progressive Era
• Ratified 1913
• Direct Election of Senators
• Before this amendment, state legislatures
  (Nebraskas unicameral) would decide who the
  state Senators were
• Would this be a conflict of interest?

9
18th Amendment

• Progressive Era
• Ratified 1919
• Prohibition of Alcohol
• No making, selling, transporting, or drinking of
  liquor
• Effects Bootlegging, the MOB, the Rise of Al
  Capone

10
19th Amendment

• Progressive Era
• Ratified 1920
• Womens SuffrageFINALLY
• Amendments giving women the right to vote had
  been proposed for more than 40 years

11
20th Amendment

• Ratified 1933
• Presidential Inauguration is Jan. 20th
• Lame Duck Amendment
• a LAME DUCK is a government official who
  continues to serve in office though not reelected
  to another term
• Before this, officials remained in office for 4
  months
• Now Lame Ducks remain in office for a little over
  2 months

12
21st Amendment

• Ratified 1933
• Repeal of the 18th (Prohibition)
• Americans (and the government) did not like the
  effects of the 18th amendment, so it was repealed

13
22nd Amendment

• Ratified 1951
• After which President died?
• 22 - 2 terms
• Limits the Presidents Terms to TWO
• Whats the longest time a President HAS served?
• Whats the longest time a President COULD serve
  NOW?

14
The Constitution says

• No person shall be elected to the office of the
  President more than twice, and no person who has
  held the office of President for more than 2
  years of a term to which some other person was
  elected President shall be elected to the office
  of President more than once.
• ANSWER?????

15
23rd Amendment

• Ratified 1961
• 23 - DC
• Residents in the District of Columbia (DC) can
  vote (in national elections only)
• No taxation without representation

16
24th Amendment

• Ratified 1964
• During the Civil Rights Movement
• 24-No More
• No more Poll Tax (to vote)
• Poll taxes were used to keep poor whites and
  blacks from voting in national and state elections

17
25th amendment

• Ratified 1967
• After which President died?
• 25 and he dies
• Presidential Succession and Disability
• If the President dies, the VP takes over
• If both the President and VP cannot serve, the
  Speaker of the House (Nancy Pelosi) serves
• Who comes next in line?

18
26th amendment

• Ratified 1971
• Came as a direct response to the Vietnam War
• Suffrage for 18-year-olds

19
27th amendment

• Proposed 1789, Ratified 1992
• One of the original Bill of Rights (2)
• Congressional Pay Raises
• Congress members cannot give themselves a pay
  raise
• Congress members must wait until that raise is
  confirmed by Congress. The pay raise will not go
  into effect until the next Congressional session