...I feel that the First Amendment is the most important Amendment to the Constitution. I feel this way because of the freedoms it gives us as citizens. Firstly, I’m going to start with the freedom of assembly. The freedom to assemble and protest has become more and more relevant since the results of the 2016 election. The most recent example, of course, was on Saturday, with The Women’s March on Washington. The protest was widely recognized not only nationally, but worldwide as well as other people from other nations protested in their cities. The freedom of assembly allowed for this protest to take place. The freedom of assembly has also let other groups and protests be formed in the past that have directly influenced our lives in the present...
Words: 382 - Pages: 2
...Taylor Segerson Paper Topic for Unit 2 – Founding The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791 and guaranteeing such rights as the freedoms of speech, assembly, and worship. The anti-federalists opposed this movement while the federalist supported it. There were many arguments about rights that we should and should not have. Regardless of the arguments and anti-federalist, our history would be significantly different if the Bill of Rights were to never be written. The amendments include some of the following rights: to bear arms, the housing of soldiers, protection from unreasonable searches, protection to life and liberty, accused persons in criminal and civil cases, excessive bail, other rights...
Words: 294 - Pages: 2
...Bill of Rights and Amendments Paper Jessica Ruiz HIS/301 April 4, 2013 Ryan Tarr Bill of Rights and Amendments Paper The Constitution is a fundamental law, which describes how a strong government should work (Zink, 2009). The Framers had stated that America’s Constitution was a vast contribution to the governments practice, and offered a new form of government to the United States. The United States Constitution is also known as the ultimate law, which was created by our founding fathers to establish a strong governmental structure, to meet the needs of the people in our nation. The Constitution was created to protect the rights of the people and their freedom by enforcing laws on the individuals who did in fact hold power on a political level. The vision of the Framers of an appropriate government for American’s was incorporated in the Constitution known as the Bill of Rights. Amendments becoming part of the Constitution In the Constitution Article V reads, that there are two ways for an amendment to become a part of the United States Constitution. The first way is with a two third vote in both houses of Congress the House of Representatives and the Senate. Today the most common used method of the amendment process is the first way by having the Representatives and Senate vote. The second way is a convention that has been set up by two thirds of the state’s legislatures followed by ratification for the amendment (Patterson, 2009). The ratification process is...
Words: 1557 - Pages: 7
...It has been argued that a constitution written in the eighteenth century does not work in the twenty first century. The US constitution is codified as it is written in one place and is the supreme law of the United States. Arguments that support the view that the constitution does not work in the 21st century include it giving too much power to the Supreme Court, some provisions being outdated and the amendment process being too difficult in modern context. The two contrasting views can be summed up in the following quotes. William Gladstone quipped that the constitution was “the most wonderful work ever struck off by the brain and purpose of man” while Ruth Bader Ginsburg stated “I would not look at the US constitution if I was drafting a constitution in the year 2012”. One argument that supports the view that a constitution written in the eighteenth century does not work in the twenty first century is the US constitution handing too much power to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has made several controversial and contentious decisions which arguably have weak constitutional foundation in cases such as Citizens United 2010 and Roe vs. Wade in 1973. Because there is no appeals process, these decisions cannot be challenged. There is an amendment process that could overturn these decisions but this is difficult to achieve in modern circumstances. The Supreme Court is an unelected body that is given too much power and can make decisions at the expense of elected representatives...
Words: 1323 - Pages: 6
...There are two methods of proposing an amendment to the Constitution as provided by Article V of the Constitution. The first method of amending the constitution requires a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives. The second method of amending the constitution requires two-thirds of the state legislatures to request that Congress call a national amendment convention, then the Congress must call one. After this process, the convention may then propose the amendments to the states for ratification. There are also two methods of ratifying an amendment. The first and most common method of ratifying an amendment is a three-fourths vote from the legislature in favor of the proposed amendment. The second method of ratifying an amendment is through a special convention called on by the states in which three-fourths of the states must approve the proposed amendment. This second method of ratification has only been used once. (Sidlow and Henschen) Since the constitution came into effect in 1789 more than eleven thousand amendments have been introduced to Congress, of those proposed amendments only twenty seven made it through the process and became a part of our constitution. All twenty seven amendments have been proposed by the first method to amend the constitution, a two-thirds vote in the...
Words: 671 - Pages: 3
...The constitution of Bangladesh has so far been amended sixteen times. These amendments and and numerous proclamation orders have been responsible for bringing in profound changes in the original character of the document. The first, second, third and fourth amendments were made by AWAMI league government of seikh mujibur rahaman, the fifth through martial law regulations and the Bangladesh national party, sixth by BNP, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th by JATIYA party, 11th, 12th, 13 and 14th by BNP. The 15TH and 16th amended by AWAMI league. The major amendments are as follow: First Amendment The Constitution (First Amendment) Act 1973 was passed on 15 July 1973. It amended Article 47 of the Constitution by inserting an additional clause which allowed prosecution and punishment of any person accused of 'genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes and other crimes under international law'. A new Article 47A was also inserted, making certain fundamental rights inapplicable in those cases. Second Amendment The Constitution (Second Amendment) Act 1973 was passed on 22 September 1973. This act: amended Articles 26, 63, 72 and 142 of the Constitution; replaced Article 33; and inserted a new part (Part IXA). Provision was made through this amendment for the suspension of certain fundamental rights of citizens during an emergency. Third Amendment The Constitution (Third Amendment) Act 1974 was enacted on 28 November 1974. This amendment altered Article 2 of the Constitution to give...
Words: 1906 - Pages: 8
...There were fifty five men who were delegates, their purpose was to have the federal government strengthen. The delegates did not think that rewriting the Articles of Confederation would actually work out. Eventually they wrote the U.S. Constitution. George Washington was chosen to lead the convention. All of the delegates had to agree that every state would get one vote. They did not want anyone to know about what was going on during the convention meetings. The delegates made sure to keep everything a secret, anyone who was not a delegate were not allowed to attend any meetings. We have no written documents because they kept everything a secret of what had occurred during the meetings. The only details we have today is from a notebook that belonged to James Madison. However, James Madison is known as the “Father of the Constitution.” He had also helped write the federalist papers. At the Constitutional Convention James Madison had done a very good job. When the delegates had to decided to write the “Bill of Rights” he was against it. James Madison was afraid that the future people would just go by those ten amendments that were listed in the “Bill of Rights”. James Madison had believed in a loose interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. The Virginia Plan was one of the two opposing plans for the government. This plan basically was an outline of the federal government we have today. The Virginia plan was called for three branches of government. The three branches of...
Words: 2520 - Pages: 11
...When looking back to the early years of the United States, one may analyze why Anti-Federalists were against the Constitution because the Constitution is the most important document of the United States. It was quite simple; there wasn’t a bill of rights drafted in the original copy. Without a bill of rights, the people would never be aware of their unalienable rights and the power and roles of their government. Patrick Henry said, “The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them,” at the Convention of Virginia in June 1788. He was trying to convey a message that showed the importance of citizens having their rights listed, so the government would never be able...
Words: 1709 - Pages: 7
...Bill of Rights and Amendments Salvatore Coco HIS/301 AUGUST 15, 2013 Christina Winn Bill of Rights and Amendments Although the Constitution was written primarily to define and represent the ideals and dreams of men for freedom of life; liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, there were many imperfections because of the compromises required to get the document ratified by the states involved. Amendments to the Constitution were added to correct these deficiencies, including the Bill of Rights and the first 10 amendments. However, the Bill of Rights still did not adequately address the issues of slaves. Amendments 13, 14, and 15 were added in an attempt to fulfill the gaps left by the original 10. These amendments were also a precursor to future amendments addressing civil right issues during the Civil Rights movement. How and Why Amendments are added to the Constitution The Constitution was approved in 1788, including Article V stating how amendments would be added. Amendments were needed either as an improvement, a correction, or an addition. There are two ways to pass an amendment although only one has ever been used. The first method takes two-thirds of the house and Senate and three-fourths of the states to have a proposed amendment ratified. The second method, although never used requires a Constitutional Convention to be called by two-thirds of the House...
Words: 1743 - Pages: 7
...Lopez-Schermer June 10, 2013 Our four fathers as a way of check and balances created the Constitution. They believed that a strong federal government was needed for the country to survive. The constitution is the base for all laws in the United States. It’s the highest law in the United States. The constitution can be changed, when it’s changed it’s called and amendment. Among the amendments are the bill of rights and the reconstruction amendments. In this paper I will discuss how and why amendments become part of the constitution, what were some problems with the original document that motivated the adoption of the bill of rights, the effects of the bill of rights and the reconstruction amendments and their effects. How and why do amendments become part of the constitution? When the constitution was written, the Framers knew that the constitution would and could be amended. Article V of the constitution tells how an amendment can become a part of the constitution. It takes two steps to add an amendment to the constitution. The first step is the proposal. An amendment can be proposed by either two-thirds vote in congress, which includes both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The second step is ratification; the amendment has to be ratified by wither three-fourths of the state legislatures or by state conventions in three-fourths of the states. An amendment can only be ratified after two-thirds of the House and Senate approve of the proposal and send...
Words: 1409 - Pages: 6
...Constitution Paper Nikki Collins HIS/115 Amy Obszarski 9/7/2013 The Constitution was a big part in making the United Stated of America. It did a lot in setting rules as well. The Constitution addressed many things: weakness, complaints, and representation. All of these would make many different things come together to what we see today in our society. The help of the Constitution brought together the government and made it fair to the states and people. This is what we see in the government today and it is also what we know. The Declaration of Independence was also a great aspect in the United States. It also had grievances; these grievances would be helped by the Constitution. In the Declaration of Independence there was a problem with taxes, “For imposing taxes on us without our consent.” This was very troubling to the colonists. So the Constitution stopped this, “congress has the power to collect taxes.” Since the Declaration says “for cutting off trade with all parts of the world.” “Congress has the power to regulate trade.” Also military “congress has the power to declare war…rise and support armies.” As well as Amendment three “no soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered into any house, without the consent of the owner, or in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.” There are weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation that the Constitution addressed. In this way the Constitution became Supreme law, levy taxes, regulate trade with...
Words: 787 - Pages: 4
...History 301 / United States Constitution Joseph Richardson As Americans we are given certain “freedoms” that other countries are not entitled to have. In 1787 the United States Constitution went to effect and included the Bill of Rights that provides us with our freedoms. Each of these amendments is very important to the way we live in today’s society and play an important role in our lives. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights is the foundation for our country and the Amendments it includes gives our citizens their individual rights. The Constitution is what separates us from any other country. Certain Amendments were able to pave the way for all groups of individuals to have equal rights. The Constitution is a living document and was created that way to keep growing and changing to evolve with the American people. Our founding fathers understood that times would change the United States would grow and have different issues then our forefathers had. Because they understood this when they created the Constitution of the United States which included article V. Article V of the United States Constitution states that whenever two thirds of both houses decides an amendment is necessary they can propose it. A proposed amendment becomes part of the Constitution after it is ratified by three fourths of the 50 states. An amendment means a change, addition, correction or alteration to the current Constitution. The reason our Constitution has amendments is because our country is constantly...
Words: 1620 - Pages: 7
...Guide Anatomy of the Constitution Time Needed: One class period Materials Needed: Student worksheets Copy Instructions: Preamble Activity Half Sheet (class set, divided) Student packet (three pages double-sided; class set) Preamble (Transparency) Whose Job Is It? (Transparency) Foldable Activity (class set) Learning Objectives. Students will be able to: explain the structure, function, and powers of the U.S. government as established in the Constitution identify the roles of the three branches of government describe the constitutional amendment process interpret the intentions of the Preamble of the Constitution. STEP BY STEP 1) ANTICIPATE by asking students where the government gets it’s instructions. How does Congress, the President, or federal judges know what to do? Give students a moment to think, then randomly call on students to share their thoughts. 2) DISTRIBUTE one reading packet to each student. 3) READ through the first two paragraphs on page one with the class. 4) DISPLAY the transparency, Breaking it Down: The Preamble and explain the statement, phrase by phrase. The students should add the annotations to their reading. Also note that people living in the 1700s had different rules about capitalization than we do today. 5) READ the rest of page one, continuing through page three with the class. Explain that you will go into greater detail on the amendment process on the next page. 6) READ the information about the amendment process on page four...
Words: 3693 - Pages: 15
...Assess the US Constitution The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the USA. The Constitution, originally comprising seven articles, delineates the national frame of government. Its first three articles entrench the doctrine of the separation of powers, whereby the federal government is divided into three branches: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Congress; the executive, consisting of the President; and the judiciary, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts. Since the Constitution came into force in 1789, it has been amended twenty-seven times. In general, the first ten amendments, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, offer specific protections of individual liberty and justice and place restrictions on the powers of government. The majority of the seventeen later amendments expand individual civil rights. At seven articles and twenty-seven amendments, it is the shortest written constitution in force. The Constitution of the United States was the first constitution of its kind, and has influenced the constitutions of other nations. However, it has many flaws, firstly the amendment process is too difficult, thereby making it near impossible to change it. Secondly the power of judicial review gives the unelected unaccountable Supreme Court too much power. Thirdly the constitution leads to gridlock and finally some parts make no sense in modern society and don’t work as the Framers intended. Nevertheless there are positives; primarily...
Words: 1737 - Pages: 7
...Bill of Rights and Amendments Bill of Rights and Amendments The United States Constitution was recognized to Americans as a vague statement in clarifying the privileges and the rights of individuals and centralizing the power within the government itself. With the passing of the Bill of Rights and the first ten amendments, it grants the people to what is said to be their “natural rights” following additional rights that have significantly changed our society. Amendments and Constitution According to the Constitution, an amendment may be proposed and be presented, where it is put to a two thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The original article is then forwarded for processing and publication to NARA's Office of the Federal Register (OFR) (U.S. Constitution, 2011). The OFR maintains the document until it is either adopted or a failed amendment, then it is transferred for protection to the National Archives. Soon after a proposed amendment is ratified by three-fourths of the states, it becomes a part of the Constitution. (U.S. Constitution, 2011) Not all proposed amendments are accepted and must meet certain constitutional purpose to be passed, for example: after the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and stating that “all men are created equal” the institutionalized system of servitude was a reason to pass to what is now the 13th Amendment of the Constitution and the abolition of slavery. This amendment provided that neither...
Words: 1340 - Pages: 6
