U.s. Constitution

Front 1

The Preamble

Back 1

-Introduction to the Constitution
-States the basic purposes of the gov't of the U.S.

Front 2

Article 1

Back 2

Legislature

Front 3

Article 1, Section 1

Back 3

Congress

Front 4

Congress

Back 4

-has the sole power to make laws
-made up of two houses:
-Senate
-House of Representatives

Front 5

Article 1, Section 2

Back 5

House of Representatives

Front 6

House of Representatives

Back 6

-elections every 2 years
-membership based on state population
-must be at least 25 years old
-US citizen for 7yrs.
-resident of state
-has power to organize committees
-has power to impeach

Front 7

Impeachment

Back 7

the process of accusing a public official of a crime or a serious misbehavior
-verdict delivered by Senate

Front 8

Article 1, Section 3

Back 8

Senate

Front 9

Senate

Back 9

-elected for a six-year term
-2 senators from each state
-must be at least 30 yrs. old
-U.S. citizen for 9 yrs.
-resident of state
-has power to organize into committees
-power to act as a court in impeachment trials

Front 10

president pro tempore

Back 10

presides over senate in the absence of the Vice President

Front 11

Congressional Elections

Back 11

-All elections for Congress are held on the 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November in the even-numbered years
-Congress must meet at least once a year

Front 12

Quorum

Back 12

both the House and the Senate decide whether their members are legally qualified and have been fairly elected

Front 13

Rules and Conduct

Back 13

Each house disciplines its own members when the activities of those members are judged to be improper

Front 14

Congressional Records

Back 14

Published records of congressional sessions; published daily

Front 15

Adjournment

Back 15

clause that allows Congress to decide when and where it should meet
-both houses agree to any recess that extends beyond 3 days
-must meet in same city

Front 16

Congressional Immunity

Back 16

-freedom from arrest, protects members while going to and from congressional work
-free from prosecution for libel or slander during congressional debates or in official reports

Front 17

1) Bill is Introduced

Back 17

introduced to either House or Senate
-then assigned to a committee for study

Front 18

2) Approved by Committee

Back 18

Committee makes recommendation that the bill be placed on calendar

Front 19

3) Vote of House Members

Back 19

-Either house reads, debates, and votes on the bill
-if approved by majority, bill is passed and referred to the other house

Front 20

4) Vote by Other House

Back 20

-Committee reviews bill
-Bill read, debated, and voted on by all members
-majority vote to pass it

Front 21

5) Differences Worked Out

Back 21

Joint Conference Committee works out differences in bill
-revised version passes both houses

Front 22

6) Enrolled and Signed

Back 22

-Bill is printed and verified.
-Vice Pres. signs bill and passes it to Pres.

Front 23

7) Made a Law

Back 23

Pres. signs bill--or holds it ten days without signing it-- and it becomes law

Front 24

8) Passed over Veto

Back 24

If Pres. vetoes bill, two-thirds vote of both houses makes it a law

Front 25

Pocket Veto

Back 25

Holding a bill until after Congress adjourns as a means of vetoing it within the ten-day period without signing it

Front 26

Duties

Back 26

Taxes on goods coming into the U.S.

Front 27

Excises

Back 27

Taxes on the manufacture, sale, or use of goods made within the U.S.

Front 28

Imposts

Back 28

Other taxes on imported goods

Front 29

Naturalization

Back 29

the process of becoming a citizen

Front 30

Patent

Back 30

a official document that gives an inventor the exclusive rights to make, use, or sell the invention for a specified number of years(Eight years)

Front 31

Copyright

Back 31

the exclusive right to publish or perform literary, artistic, or musical works for a certain number of years (usually twenty-eight)

Front 32

"Elastic Clause"
(Article 1,Sec. 8, Clause 18)

Back 32

Allows Congress to deal with many matters not specifically mentioned in the Constitution

Front 33

Writ of Habeas Corpus

Back 33

a legal order that protects people from being held in jail on weak evidence or none at all

Front 34

Bill of Attainder

Back 34

an act passed by a legislature to punish a person without a trial

Front 35

Ex Post Facto Law

Back 35

provides punishment for an act that was legal when the act was committed

Front 36

Capitation

Back 36

head tax

Front 37

Export Taxes

Back 37

taxes on goods sent to other states or to foreign countries

Front 38

Article 2

Back 38

Executive Branch

Front 39

Article 2, Section 1

Back 39

The Presidency

Front 40

President and Vice President

Back 40

-must be at least 35 years old
-U.S. citizen for at least 14 yrs.
-must be native born

Front 41

Article 3

Back 41

Judicial Department

Front 42

Judicial Branch

Back 42

-no specific requirements
-may keep position for life
-unless impeached and convicted or retires

Front 43

Judicial Review

Back 43

the power to review a law and decide whether it violates the Constitution
-created by John Marshall
-Marbury vs. Madison

Front 44

Original Jurisdiction

Back 44

primary responsibilty
-in cases that affect reps. of foregin countries and in cases in which a state is one of the parties

Front 45

Appellate Jurisdiction

Back 45

the right to review appeals from the lower courts with Congress authorization

Front 46

Article 4

Back 46

Relations Among States

Front 47

Extradition

Back 47

if a person is charged with a felony or a serious crime in one state and flees to another, that person must be returned to the intial state upon that governor's request

Front 48

Republic

Back 48

a form of gov't in which the people elect officials to represent them

Front 49

Article 5

Back 49

Amending the Constitution

Front 50

Article 6

Back 50

Supremacy of the National Government