The Constitution of the United States of America: 1787 (Annotated) E-Book

Various Authors

• Herausgeber: Various Authors
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. The Constitution originally consisted of seven Articles. The first Amendments are known as the Bill of Rights.The first three Articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, whereby the federal government is divided into three branches: the legislature, consisting of the bicameral Congress; the executive, consisting of the President; and the judiciary, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts. The fourth and sixth Articles frame the doctrine of federalism, describing the relationship between State and State, and between the several States and the federal government. The fifth Article provides the procedure for amending the Constitution. The seventh Article provides the procedure for ratifying the Constitution.The Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787, by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and ratified by conventions in eleven States.The Documents that Shaped America. Proposed, Debated and Drafted at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in the Summer of 1787. The meetings of the Convention took place at Independence Hall. The Constitutional Convention began its deliberations on May 25, 1787. All of the delegates were convinced that an effective central government with a wide range of enforceable powers must replace the weaker Congress established by the Articles of Confederation.

Leseprobe

The Constitution of the United States of America

1787

Fathers of the Constitution

ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION

The Constitution ofthe United States is the supremelawof thelandand isthe centralinstrumentof theUnited Statesgovernment. Two hundred years, he hasguidedthedevelopment of thegovernmentandserved as thefoundation foreconomicgrowthandsocial development,political stability, personal freedom.

TheUnited States Constitutionis the oldestwritten constitutionin the worldin place, and has servedona number of differentmodelsof theworld's oldest constitutionin the world. Itowesitssimplicityand flexibility,the Constitutionofsustainability. Originally designedin the 18thcentury to providea frameworkfor governing4 million peoplein 13verydifferent statesalongthe Atlantic coastof America, itsmain provisionswere so wellplannedthatonly 27amendments, whichnow servesthe needs ofmore than 260millionAmericansin 50 states,extendingfromthe Atlanticand Pacific.

The road tothe Constitution has beenstraightor easy.Adraft documentemerged in1787,but only afterintense debate andsix years of experiencewith an earlierfederal union.The 13American coloniesdeclared their independencefrom their homeland in1776A year earlier,war had broken outbetween the colonies andGreat Britain, a war for independence thatlasted for sixbitter years. Whilestill at war, the colonies-nowcalling themselves theUnited States ofAmerica -drafteda pactthat bound them togetheras a nation.The compact, designatedthe "Articles ofConfederation andPerpetual Union," was passed by Congressstatesin 1777and formallysigned in July1778Articlesare bindingwhen they wereratified by13state, Maryland, March 1781.  

TheArticles of Confederationdeviseda loose associationbetween the statesandfederalgovernmentto establish very limited powers. On crucial issuessuch as defense, public finance, and commerce,the federal government wasat the mercyof state legislatures. Therewas anagreement leadingto stabilityor strength.Soon theweaknessof the confederationwas apparent to all. Politically and economically, the new nation wasclose to chaos. In the words ofGeorgeWashington,who becamethe first president ofthe United States in1789, 13states joinedjust "a rope of sand." It was under theseunfavorable circumstancesthat the Constitution ofthe United Stateswas drafted. In February1787,theContinentalCongress, thelegislative body of theRepublic, calledon states tosend delegates toPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania, to revise the Articles. TheConstitutional Conventionconvened onMay 25, 1787, inIndependence Hall, where the Declaration ofIndependencehad been adopted11 yearsearlier, onJuly 4, 1776Althoughthe delegates hadbeen authorizedonly toamend SectionsConfederation, leavingaside theitemsand proceeded tobuild aCharterfor a completelynew, morecentralizedgovernment.The new document, the Constitutionwas completedSeptember 17, 1787, and wasofficially adoptedMarch 4, 1789. The55 delegateswho drafted theConstitutionincludedmostoutstanding leaders, orFounding Fathersof the new nation. They represented awide range of interests, backgrounds, and stationsin life.All agreed, however, inthe central objectivesexpressed in thepreamble to the Constitution: "We thepeople of the UnitedStates, in Order to form amore perfect Union,establish Justice, insure domesticTranquility, provide forthe common defense,promote the general welfare, and secure the blessingsofliberty to ourselvesand our Posterity,do ordain and establishthis Constitution for theUnited Statesof America.” 

The Constitution of the United States of America

We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

ARTICLE I

Section 1. All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

Section 2. The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislature.

No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by law Direct. The number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.

When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.

The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.

Section 3. The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the legislature thereof, for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.

Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at the expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third may be chosen every second Year; and if vacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwise, during the recess of the Legislature of any State, the Executive thereof may make temporary Appointments until the next meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill such Vacancies.

No person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.

The Vice-President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.

The Senate shall choose their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice-President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the United States.

The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.

Judgment in cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.

Section 4. The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.

The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year, and such Meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by law appoint a different Day.

Section 5. Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business; but a smaller Number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the Attendance of absent Members, in such Manner, and under such Penalties as each House may provide.

Each house may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behavior, and, with the Concurrence of two-thirds, expel a Member.