Amendments 11 - 27

The Constitution is a fluid document!

11th Amendmentproposed March, 1794; ratified February, 1795

• Using provisions in Article III, sect. 2 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court had upheld a suit involving residents of South Carolina and the State of Georgia.

• This annoyed the States, so they eliminated provisions in the Constitution.

• No State can be sued in a federal court by a resident of another State or by a foreign country.

12th Amendment -proposed Dec., 1803; ratified June, 1804

• Cleans up the voting “mess” that was the 1800 election (Jefferson and Burr tied in electoral college voting).

• Restricts House, in the event the election is “tossed” to them, to vote for top three vote-getters

• Electors must vote for at least one (Pres./V-Pres.) from a different State (why Dick Cheney, a Texan, registered to vote in Wyoming!)

• Requires that Vice-Presidential candidates meet same requirements as Presidential candidates.

13th Amendment -proposed Jan., 1865; ratified Dec., 1865

• First of 3 “Civil War” amendments

• Forbids slavery

• Forbids “involuntary servitude” (no - not “going to school!”)

• Congress (not Executive branch) given authority to enforce this law.

14th Amendmentproposed June, 1866; ratified July 1868

• major post Civil War Amendment

• has MANY repercussions

• Southern States required to accept this in order to rejoin the USA

14th Amendment - cont.• Section 1 - What is a Citizen and more!• citizenship is acquired at birth • States can’t arbitrarily deny U.S. citizens of

basic rights without due process - this, basically, extends the Constitution’s federal coverage to the States (incorporation)

• all citizens entitled to “Equal Protection” - has enormous legal ramifications

14th Amendment - more!

• Section 2 - basically eliminates the “Three-fifths” language from the Constitution

• Section 3 - If you HAD been in the USA government before the Civil War, then became part of the CSA government, you can’t rejoin the USA government!

• Section 4 - USA takes care of USA debt, but NOT CSA debt

• Section 5 - Congress, not Executive branch to enforce this law

15th Amendmentproposed Feb., 1869; ratified Feb., 1870

• last of the three Civil War - era amendments

• ex-slaves cannot be denied the right to vote.

• Actual implication is much more far-reaching today

16th Amendmentproposed July, 1909; ratified Feb., 1913

• remember how we said we weren’t going to have an individual (capitation) tax....?

• We were kidding!• this amendment gives

Congress the power to levy a tax on a person’s income

17th Amendment proposed May, 1912; ratified April 1913

• Senators now to be directly elected from the people (not legislatures)

• provisions for filling vacancies (due to death or removal from office.

18th Amendmentproposed Dec., 1917; ratified Jan., 1919

• Alcohol manufacture, sale, and transportation PROHIBITED

• this amendment HAD to be ratified in 7 years (first instance of a “time limit” for ratification)

19th Amendmentproposed June, 1919; ratified Aug., 1920

• Votes for Women!• applies to ALL States

as well as federal elections

• misuse of the word “sex” (should be “gender”)

20th Amendmentproposed March, 1932; ratified Jan., 1933

• The Lame Duck Amendment• moved dates up for starting

terms - Congress to Jan. 3; President to Jan. 20

• provides for circumstances in case President-elect dies before inauguration

• had to be ratified in 7 years

21st Amendmentproposed Feb., 1933; ratified Dec., 1933

• remember how we banned booze?

• WE WERE KIDDING!• repeals the 18th amendment• gives States authority to

regulate liquor industry• 7 year time limit for

ratification• only amendment to pass by

State conventions - not legislatures

22nd Amendmentproposed March, 1947; ratified Feb., 1951

• Limits President to two terms (up to 10 years)• all Presidents had limited themselves to two terms

(George Washington had set the example) until Franklin D. Roosevelt

• 7 year limit on ratification

23rd Amendmentproposed June, 1960; ratified March, 1961

• Citizens of Washington D.C. get to vote in Presidential elections!

• Limited to number of electors equivalent to smallest State (3)

24th Amendmentproposed Sept., 1962; ratified Jan., 1964

• prohibited any payment of a tax in order to cast a ballot for federal officers (a so-called “Poll Tax”)

• this had been used in the South since the 15th amendment to disenfranchise black voters

25th Amendmentproposed July, 1965; ratified Feb., 1967

• sect. 1 - Vice-President to become President if a vacancy (had been done before, but never actually stated

• sect. 2 - President could fill a vacancy in Vice-President’s office (with approval of both houses of Congress) - used twice in the 1970’s

• sect. 3 - If President says he’s temporarily incapacitated, he can remove himself from office

• sect. 4 - provides for circumstances to remove incapacitated President from office if he couldn’t (or wouldn’t) remove himself.

26th Amendmentproposed March, 1971; ratified July, 1971

• minimum voting age cannot be lower than 18 years old

• passed during the Vietnam War

27th Amendmentproposed Sept., 1789; ratified May, 1992

• proposed as one of the Bill of Rights

• not approved by 3/4 margin until 203 years later!

• pay raises for Congress don’t go into effect until after a two-year election