27th Amendment

copied from: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html

Originally proposed Sept. 25, 1789. Ratified May 7, 1992.
No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of representatives shall have intervened.

The 27^th Amendment states that no Law that would pay Senators and Representatives more or less in income will be allowed to happened until after another election. This amendment took almost 200 years after its proposal to be ratified due to the Supreme court case of Coleman v. Miller where the court ruled that If an amendment had an unspecified date then the state legislatures could approve the amendment at any time. 

Congress gets to change their pay as long as its after the next election. 

Congress freezes its pay. Violation of the 27th Amendment/

26th Amendment

copied from: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html

Passed by Congress March 23, 1971. Ratified July 1, 1971.
Note: Amendment 14, section 2, of the Constitution was modified by section 1 of the 26th amendment.
Section 1.
The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.

Section 2.
The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Any citizen at the age of 18 cannot be denied their right to vote. This amendment came about from President Nixon around the time of the Vietnam War where 18 year olds could be forced to serve in the military but had no rights to vote. The government could not tell the states how to hold their elections so in some states 18 year olds could vote, in others they couldn't. This amendment only applies for federal elections. 

 Being too young to vote but not too young to go to war....The government fixed it with the 26th Amendment.

25th Amendment

copied from: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html

Passed by Congress July 6, 1965. Ratified February 10, 1967.
Note: Article II, section 1, of the Constitution was affected by the 25th amendment.
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.


This amendment establishes the process where the Vice President takes over for the President in his death, resignation, or removal from office which would then make the Vice Presidents position open. If the Vice Presidency is open the President can choose new Vice President but he must be voted in and approved by Congress first. The President may have the Vice President step in as Acting President with a written declaration which lasts until another declaration is made that ends the Vice Presidents time as acting President. Lastly, this amendment provides the Vice President and members of the Cabinet to declare the President unfit which would eventually lead to Congress having to reach a 2/3 majority vote that the president is indeed unfit for office. 

"After the kidnapping of Zoe Bartlet (his daughter), President Bartlet finds it difficult to govern effectively and hence enforces the 25th amendment. As there is no vice president the speaker of the house is next in line. TV Show The West Wing Season 4 Episode 23.

The presidential succession list But congress still has to approve who takes over should the president be unable to fulfill his duties. 

24th Amendment

copied from: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html

Passed by Congress August 27, 1962. Ratified January 23, 1964.
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.

The 24^th Amendment states that a citizens right to vote could not be denied from failure to pay any poll or other tax. This was an important Amendment because after African Americans were given the right to vote the south many created their own laws making it nearly impossible for African Americans to vote.

Missouri fervently working to have an I.D. Requirement to vote in elections.FORM OF POLL TAX!!!!

How is it that poll tax and using the african American Civil rights leaders beneficial? Are we being misguided/mislead?

23rd Amendment

copied from: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html

Passed by Congress June 16, 1960. Ratified March 29, 1961.
Section 1.
The District constituting the seat of Government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as 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.

Initially Washington D.C. Had no electoral votes because they DC is not a state therefore the residents were not allowed to vote for President or Congress. They were then afforded only 3 electoral votes regardless of their population. U.S. Territories Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have votes to allow them to be a part of the election as well. 

Does our voice really matter, the electoral college decides who goes to office?

How DC got their electoral votes for the Presidential election. 

22nd Amendment

copied from: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html

Passed by Congress March 21, 1947. Ratified February 27, 1951.
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 President more than once. But this Article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this Article was proposed by 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.

This amendment places limits on how many terms a president can serve. No one can be president more than twice with F.D.R. Being the exception having served from 1932 until his death in 1945 when Harry Truman took over. Reasons for his extended stint in office were due to the countries crisis's World War II and the Great Depression. His death along with the push from the republican party brought about the 22^nd amendment. No president can serve more than 10 years. If ushered into office due to death, impeachment, resignation of president standing president can move into presidency but cannot be reelected for another 4 year term should it exceed the maximum of 10 years.

This cartoon displays a thought that Bill Clinton was the force behind getting Obama into office and being elected for a second term. As payment for that Bill asks for Obama to repeal the 22nd Amendment which would allow previous presidents to possibly be elected for more than 10 years. Tyranny? 

Bill proposing the repeal of the 22nd Amendment. List of other requests to repel the 22nd Amendment. Funny enough Bill Clinton is listed.

21st Amendment

copied from: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html

Passed by Congress February 20, 1933. Ratified December 5, 1933.
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.

The 21^st Amendment repealed the 18^th amendment leaving the states in control of whether or not they would prohibit liquors becoming a dry state, city, county, etc. Deciding when buying/consuming alcohol would be legal in their jurisdiction. This amendment had to be ratified in 7 years to become valid. Franklin Roosevelt campaigned for the repeal during the depression to get more tax money from the sale of alcohol.

"The Good Old Days are back again"

Racecar driving and Stock car racing. Positives that came from the Prohibition and the Repeal of the 18th Amendment.

6 Lessons Learned after the 21st Amendment