Flashcards
Breakdown of the U.S Constitution
Flashcards do conjunto (23)
- 1Preambleintroduction to the constitution; begins with we the people; identifies 6 goals the founding fathers wanted to achieve.
- 2Article 1the legislative branch; it describes the congress and it's powers.
- 3BicameralA legislature made up of two houses.
- 4House of RepresentativesLower house of congress; 435 members; representation is based on population; term in office = 2 years.
- 5Qualifications for the HOR1. must be at least 25 years old.
2. A U.S citizen for at least 9 years.
3. Live in the district you represent. - 6SenateUpper house of congress. Made up of 100 members, 2 from each state. Elected by the state legislature. (gov.)
- 7Qualifications for the U.S SenateMust be at least 30 years old. Must be a citizen for at least 9 years. And live in the state they represent.
- 8Article 1 Section 8Lists the powers given to the congress. Ex- power to declare war.
- 9ImpeachmentTo formally charge an elected official with wrongdoing(s). The HOR votes to impeach. If the HOR votes yes, then there's a trial in the Senate.
- 10Enumerated PowersAka- Expressed powers; powers given only to the congress. ( Article One Section 8).
- 11Reserved POwersPowers that are "reserved" for the state governments.
- 12Concurrent POwersShared powers between the national government and the states' legislatures. Ex- power to tax.
- 13Writ of habeas corpus (Latin means "have the body")Article 1 Section 9 - states congress cannot suspend a person's right to writ of habeas corpus EXCEPT in cases of rebellion or invasion.
- 14Bill of AttainderCongress can NOT make a law that finds a person guilty of treason or a felony without a trial.
- 15Ex post facto laws(Latin "after the fact") Congress can NOT make a law that punishes someone for doing something that wasn't a crime when they did it.
- 16Article 2Is about the executive branch.
- 17Qualifications to be President1. Must be at least 35 years old.
2. Must be a natural born citizen.
3. Must live in the U.S for at least 14 years. - 18Commander-in-ChiefMeans the president is over the U.S Military.
- 19Article 3Is about the Judicial Branch. Aka the Judiciary; says there will be a supreme court and leaves it up to the Congress to create inferior or lower courts.
- 20Article 4Relations between the states; includes the Full Faith and Credit Clause. (Each state will respect the laws of other states).
- 21Article 5Amending the Constitution; proposed by 2/3rds of both houses in Congress, then it needs to be ratified by 3/4ths of the states.
- 22Article 6Supremacy Clause; it means the constitution is the supreme law of the land.
- 23Article 7Says 9 of the 13 original states had to ratify or vote yes before the Constitution went into effect.