Amending the Constitution
-To amend means to= change-We have amended the Constitution 27 times -Because we can amend our Constitution, we call the
Constitution a “living document” -There are 2 steps necessary to amend the
Constitution
Idea to amend must be proposed by: Two-thirds of both houses of Congress (the Senate and the House of Representatives)
Three-fourths
Step 1: Proposal
Step 2: Ratification
Did we understand what happened before?1. What are the 2 steps needed to amend the Constitution called?
2. What proportion (fraction) of both houses of Congress need to propose an amendment? What proportion (fraction) of state legislatures need to ratify an amendment?
3. THINK: Do you think it is easy or hard to amend the Constitution? Why do you think we have it this way?
Propose then ratify
Propose: 2/3 of both housesRatify: 3/4 of state legislatures
Amendment # What it says Remember it!
11th citizen of one state can't sue another state in federal court (has to be in Supreme Court)
Basically if you're from Texas you can't sue someone from Oklahoma in Federal Court
One on One, State vs. State, cannot
go to Federal Court.
12th Voters will vote for 1 President and 1 Vice President.
(Before this, whoever came in second place became Vice President).
Not 1, but 2 separate votes for for Pres and
VP
14th Gives all citizens equal protection under the law.
Used to end segregation. (didn’t actually work until the 20th century…do we still have segregation in the 21st century?)
All for one and 1 4 ALL, equal rights for all Americans
15th All male citizens can vote, including former slaves. Voting= “suffrage”
15 wrote that ALL men can
vote
16th Congress can collect an income tax (a tax on what Americans make in income)
It’s April 16, you forgot to think and pay your income tax!
(They are due April 15th)
17th US senators will be elected by the people, not chosen by state legislatures
SEventeen for SEnators NOT elected by the
states
18th Prohibited (made illegal) the sale of alcohol. This was known as prohibition
At 18 you can’t drink, but you can vote!
*Only amendment to ever be repealed
19th Women’s suffrage: Women now have the right to vote.
1, 9 isn’t she fine, now
women can vote
20th The President’s inauguration (starting day) date moves up from March 20th to January 20th
20 is for Jan 20, the
inauguration date
21st Repeals (cancels) Prohibition (18th Amendment) and made alcohol legal
You can drink again, you’re
21!
22nd President can only serve two terms AT MOST as president, so Eight Years Max
Two Twos = Two Terms
23rd Washington DC now gets to have THREE electoral votes (representatives) in the electoral college
Twenty THREE, gives 3 to
Washington DC (3 Electoral
Votes)
24th There can be no poll taxes. You cannot be forced to pay a few in order to vote.
At 24 youre Poor, can’t
afford a Poll Tax
24, no poll tax at the door
25th Sets up line of succession. If the President dies, the VP is President. If the VP dies, the Speaker of the House is President.
25 you can only be President if
you’re alive
26th Makes eighteen the national voting age
2 + 6 = EIGHT teen you can
vote!
27th Congress CANNOT make pay raises while current Senators and Representatives are in office
27, Congress can’t raise its
pay to heaven.
Guided/Independent Practice
• There are letters posted around the room. Your job? To find ALL of them and write the NUMBER and a DESCRIPTION of that particular amendment.
• This looks like: A. The 13th amendment was the amendment
that…