Amendment 27

Amendment XXVII

No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.


It means that Congress can't raise their own pay. When they vote for a pay raise, it can't go into effect until the next session of Congress.



It was one of the 12 original amendments proposed to the US Constitution. The first 10 became the bill of rights; the 27th amendment floated around for 200 years before finally being ratified in 1992.

 

 

 

Do you feel this is a fair amendment? Is it enforced?

 

 

 

Is there a better way to enforce this amendment?

 

Amendment 26

Amendment XXVI

Section 1.

The right of citizens of the United States, who are 18 years of age or older, to vote, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of age.

Section 2.

The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.




Voting Statistics:

Statistic Verification

Source: U.S Census Bureau : Voting and Registration

Date Verified: 2.6.2012

Voter Registration Statistics	Data
Total number of Americans eligible to vote	206,072,000
Total number of Americans registered to vote	146,311,000
Total number of Americans who voted in the 2008 Presidential election	131,144,000
Percent of Americans who voted in the 2008 Presidential election	64 %
State with the highest voter turnout rate (Minnesota)	75 %
State with the lowest voter turnout rate (Utah)	53.1 %
Voter Registration by Demographics	Percent
Male	69.1
Female	72.8
White	73.5
Black	69.7
Asian	55.3
Hispanic	59.4
Age 18 to 24	58.5
Age 25 to 34	66.4
Age 35 to 44	69.9
Age 45 to 54	73.5
Age 55 to 64	76.6
Age 65 to 74	78.1
Age 75 or older	76.6
Less than high school graduate	50.5
High school graduate	64.1
Some college	75.3
Bachelor’s degree	81.2
Advanced degree	85.8
Income less than $20,000	63.7
$20,000 to $29,999	67.1
$30,000 to $39,999	71.1
$40,000 to $49,999	72.6
$50,000 to $74,999	78.2
$75,000 to $99,999	81.9
$100,000 and over	79.6
Owns home	74.5
Rents home	60.1
Top Reasons Cited for Not Voting
Too busy conflicting schedule	17.5
Illness or disability	14.9
Not interested	13.4
Did not like candidates or campaign issues	12.9
Other	11.3
Out of town	8.8
Don’t know	7
Registration problems	6
Inconvienient polling place	2.7
Transportation problems	2.6
Forgot	2.6
Bad weather	0.2

 

From seeing the stats do you feel as though the youth are taking advantage of their opportunity to take part in their government?

Why or why not?

 

 

 

How can we as a people raise the percentage of votes across the different demographics that are low?

Amendment 25

Amendment XXV

Section 1.

In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.

Section 2.

Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.

Section 3.

Whenever the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.

Section 4.

Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.
Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.





Fun Facts:

1. Who's next in line for president? The main purpose of the 25th Amendment is to describe what will happen if the current commander in chief is unable to fulfill his or her duties. The first section of the amendment states that if the president dies while in office, resigns, or is removed by Congress, then the vice president will take over. Though not specified in the 25th Amendment, next in the line of succession under federal law are the Speaker of the House, the President pro tempore of the Senate, and then presidential cabinet secretaries beginning with the Secretary of State.
2. Who'll replace the vice president? Along with providing direction for who'll replace the president, the 25th Amendment also tells us how a vice-presidential vacancy will be filled. If the vice president vacates his position during his term, the president will nominate a replacement. Congress must then confirm the nominee before he or she can take office.
3. What is a president's written declaration? If the president feels like he or she is unable to perform the duties of the office, the president can submit a written declaration to Congress and the vice president will take over as commander in chief. This clause of the 25th Amendment was used by President Richard Nixon when he resigned from office and Vice President Gerald Ford took over, the Ford Library Museum explains.
4. What section of the 25th Amendment has never been used? If you're a fan of "The West Wing," you may remember the episode exploring the issues of the fourth clause of the 25th Amendment. The last clause of the amendment gives the vice president and Congress the ability to remove the president if the commander in chief is unable to fulfill his duties. The president can only be removed if both the House and the Senate approve the request by a two-thirds vote. As powerful as this clause is, it's never been used.
5. Which states haven't ratified the 25th Amendment? In order for an amendment to become part of the U.S. Constitution, at least three-fourths of all states (38 states) need to ratify it. That happened on February 10, 1967. Eventually a total of 47 states ratified the amendment. Still, three states -- North Dakota, Georgia, and South Carolina -- did not ratify the 25th Amendment.

How do you feel about the assassination  of JFK?

Do you believe this a good amendment 

 

 

 

Do you feel as though anything should be change about the amendment? If so what would you change exactly?

 

Amendment 24

AMENDMENT XXIV

SECTION 1.

The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.

SECTION 2.

The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.


Fun facts:
The 24th amendment was important to the Civil Rights Movement as it ended mandatory poll taxes that prevented many African Americans. Poll taxes, combined with grandfather clauses and intimidation, effectively prevented African Americans from having any sort of political power, especially in the South. When the 24th amendment passed, five southern states, Virginia, Alabama, Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi still had poll taxes. Most Southern states, at one time or another had poll taxes and in severe cases, had cumulative poll taxes that required the voter to pay taxes not just from that year, but also previous years they had not voted.



IN other words You used to have to pay a tax to vote. Not anymore. That simple.

Do you feel the poll tax was a bad idea to begin with?

Do you feel as though the Government at times taxes to much?

Amendment 23

AMENDMENT XXIII

SECTION 1.

The District constituting the seat of government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as the Congress may direct:

A number of electors of President and Vice President equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a state, but in no event more than the least populous state; they shall be in addition to those appointed by the states, but they shall be considered, for the purposes of the election of President and Vice President, to be electors appointed by a state; and they shall meet in the District and perform such duties as provided by the twelfth article of amendment.

SECTION 2.

The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Simplified:

The 23rd amendment gives residents of Washington DC the right to vote for representatives in the Electoral College. Remember that the Electoral College chooses our next president, based on the voting within their state. Since DC is not a state, its residents were not allowed to vote for President as well as elected voting representative to Congress. Today, DC sends a delegate to Congress who may speak on behalf of those that live in DC, but that delegate may not vote.

The 23rd amendment passed Congress in June of 1960 and reached the ¾ approval threshold less than a year later, on March 23, 1961.

Do you feel as though the 23rd amendment is a fair representation of D.C. since they are in fact not a state.

Do you think there is anything wrong with it and it should it be changed in anyway or form?

Amendment 22

AMENDMENT XXII

SECTION 1.

No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.

SECTION 2.

This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several states within seven years from the date of its submission to the states by the Congress.

Fun Fact:
"Roosevelt is the longest serving president in American history (1933-1945). He was elected to an unprecedented 4 terms in 1944 but died in office in 1945, less than a hundred days after his inauguration. In 1951 a constitutional amendment was created (22nd amendment) which limited a president to just two terms."

Do you think the 22nd amendment is a good or a bad thing? Should a president if wanting to be able to run for a 3rd, 4th, or even 5th term?

Though it did not pass were you aware of the H.J. Res. 15. It was an attempt to repeal the 22nd amendment and give the president a chance to run for more then 2 terms. DO you think this is valid bill or no?

Amendment 21

AMENDMENT XXI

SECTION 1.

The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.

SECTION 2.

The transportation or importation into any state, territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.

SECTION 3.

This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several states, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the states by the Congress.

Here are five interesting facts about the slow demise of Prohibition:

1. Two states rejected the 21st amendment. North Carolina and South Carolina rejected the amendment before December 5. So the vote was far from unanimous.

2. Another eight states didn’t meet before December 5 and didn’t even act to vote on the 21st Amendment: Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Dakota

3. One state didn’t end its version of Prohibition until 1966. Mississippi decided the keep its Prohibition laws for another three decades. As of 2004, half of Mississippi’s counties were dry. Currently, 17 states don’t allow any of their counties to be dry.

4. It was never illegal to drink during Prohibition. The 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act, the legal measure that included the instructions for enforcing Prohibition, never barred the consumption of alcohol–just making it, selling it, and shipping it for mass production (and consumption).

5. The Cullen-Harrison Act, signed about 10 months before the 21st Amendment was ratified, allowed people to drink low-alcohol content beer and wine. Incoming President Franklin D. Roosevelt had the Volstead Act amended in April 1933 to allow people to have a beer, or two, while they waited for the 21st Amendment to be ratified. The first team of Budweiser Clydesdales was sent to the White House to give President Roosevelt a ceremonial case of beer

In your opinion why do you feel the 18th amendment was actually ratified and fro what reasons?

Do you think Prohibition of anything can ever be an effective use to stop any specific thing being used?