6
Objectives You may wish to call students’ attention to the objectives in the Section Preview. The objec- tives are reflected in the main head- ings of the section. Bellringer Ask students to consider what might happen if a group of baseball owners sought to move the pitcher’s mound back five feet. Discuss the formal process that would precede such a major change. Explain that in this section, they will learn about the formal process of changing the Constitution. Vocabulary Builder Have students look at the terms in the Political Dictionary. Write the word amend- ment on the board. Ask students to find a shorter word, related to sewing, in the larger word. (mend) Ask how this word might apply to the Constitution. Formal Amendment 2 72 Consider these suggestions to manage extended class time: Have students draw numbers from 1 to 27, each number corresponding to one of the 27 amendments. Have each student create a visual that depicts the amendment they have selected. After students have finished, they present their visuals to the class and have their classmates identify which amendment is being shown. Organize the class into several small groups, assigning each group several amendments so that all 27 amendments are covered. Have students use the text and outside resources to study the historical debate surrounding each amendment’s passage. Have students consider arguments for and against the amendment. Finally, have each group present information about their amend- ments to the class. Block Scheduling Strategies Lesson Plan 1. Focus Tell students that the Constitution has survived for more than 200 years because it contains timeless principles yet can be amended. Ask students to discuss what they know abut the formal amendment process. 2. Instruct Ask students to name the four ways the Constitution can be formally amended. Then discuss why one of the four methods has dominated and which method best reflects the principle of popular sovereignty. 3. Close/Reteach Remind students that the formal amendment process has yielded 27 amendments, includ- ing the ten contained in the Bill of Rights. Have groups of students pre- pare to orally explain all four methods of amendment. Formal Amendment Objectives 1. Identify the four different ways by which the Constitution may be formally changed. 2. Explain how the formal amendment process illustrates the principles of federalism and pop- ular sovereignty. 3. Outline the 27 amendments that have been added to the Constitution. Why It Matters The Framers of the Constitution realized that, inevitably, changes would have to be made in the document they wrote. Article V provides for the process of formal amendment. To this point, 27 amendments have been added to the Constitution. Political Dictionary amendment formal amendment Bill of Rights change and growth? The answer lies in this highly important fact: The United States Constitution of today is, and at the same time is not, the document of 1787. Many of its words are the same, and much of their mean- ing remains the same. But some of its words have been changed, some have been eliminated, and some have been added. And, very impor- tantly, the meanings of many of its provisions have been modified as well. This process of constitutional change, of modification and growth, has come about in two basic ways: (1) by formal amendment and (2) by other, informal means. In this section, you will look at the first of them: the addition of for- mal amendments to the Constitution. Formal Amendment Process The Framers knew that even the wisest of consti- tution makers cannot build for all time. Thus, the Constitution provides for its own amendment— that is, for changes in its written words. Article V sets out two methods for the pro- posal and two methods for the ratification of constitutional amendments. So, there are four T T he Constitution of the United States has now been in force for more than 200 years— longer, by far, than the written constitution of any other nation in the world. 3 When the Constitution became effective in 1789, the United States was a small agricultural nation of fewer than four million people. That population was scattered for some 1,300 miles along the easternedge of the continent. Travel and communications among the 13 States were limit- ed to horseback and sailing ships. The new States struggled to stay alive in a generally hostile world. Today, nearly 300 million people live in the United States. The now 50 States stretch across the conti- nent and beyond, and the coun- try also has many far-flung com- mitments. The United States is today the most powerful nation on Earth, and its modern, highly industrialized and technological society has produced a standard of living that has long been the envy of the rest of the world. How has the Constitution, written in 1787, endured and kept up with that astounding 1790 1860 Today Population Growth 3 The British constitution dates from well before the Norman Conquest of 1066, but it is not a single, written document. Rather, it is an “unwritten constitution,” a collection of principles, customs, tra- ditions, and significant parliamentary acts that guide British govern- ment and practice. Israel, which has existed only since 1948, is the only other state in the world without a written constitution. The United States population has grown and expanded across the continent since the Constitution was adopted. The Constitution has been amended to meet the changing needs of the country. Teaching the Main Ideas L3

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Page 1: MAG05 NA TE CH03 02 12/29/05 11:15 AM Page 72 Formal … · 3. Outline the 27 amendments that have been added to the Constitution. Why It Matters The Framers of the Constitution realized

Objectives You may wish to callstudents’ attention to the objectivesin the Section Preview. The objec-tives are reflected in the main head-ings of the section.Bellringer Ask students to considerwhat might happen if a group ofbaseball owners sought to move the pitcher’s mound back five feet.Discuss the formal process thatwould precede such a major change.Explain that in this section, they willlearn about the formal process ofchanging the Constitution.Vocabulary Builder Have studentslook at the terms in the PoliticalDictionary. Write the word amend-ment on the board. Ask students tofind a shorter word, related tosewing, in the larger word. (mend)Ask how this word might apply tothe Constitution.

Formal Amendment2

72

Customize forMore Advanced StudentsHave students conduct research to investigate thechanging role of the Speaker of the House. (Youmay wish to assign each student a specific speaker.)Ask students to summarize their research in briefreports and then lead a discussion on the changingrole.

Consider these suggestions to manage extendedclass time:■ Have students draw numbers from 1 to 27,each number corresponding to one of the 27amendments. Have each student create a visualthat depicts the amendment they have selected.After students have finished, they present theirvisuals to the class and have their classmatesidentify which amendment is being shown.

■ Organize the class into several small groups,assigning each group several amendments so thatall 27 amendments are covered. Have studentsuse the text and outside resources to study thehistorical debate surrounding each amendment’spassage. Have students consider arguments forand against the amendment. Finally, have eachgroup present information about their amend-ments to the class.

Block Scheduling Strategies

Lesson Plan

1. Focus Tell students that theConstitution has survived for morethan 200 years because it containstimeless principles yet can beamended. Ask students to discusswhat they know abut the formalamendment process.2. Instruct Ask students to namethe four ways the Constitution canbe formally amended. Then discusswhy one of the four methods hasdominated and which method bestreflects the principle of popularsovereignty.3. Close/Reteach Remind studentsthat the formal amendment processhas yielded 27 amendments, includ-ing the ten contained in the Bill ofRights. Have groups of students pre-pare to orally explain all four methodsof amendment.

Formal Amendment

Objectives

1. Identify the four different ways by which theConstitution may be formally changed.

2. Explain how the formal amendment processillustrates the principles of federalism and pop-ular sovereignty.

3. Outline the 27 amendments that have beenadded to the Constitution.

Why It Matters

The Framers of the Constitutionrealized that, inevitably, changeswould have to be made in thedocument they wrote. Article Vprovides for the process of formalamendment. To this point, 27amendments have been added tothe Constitution.

PoliticalDictionary

★ amendment★ formal amendment★ Bill of Rights

change and growth? The answer lies in thishighly important fact: The United StatesConstitution of today is, and at the same timeis not, the document of 1787. Many of itswords are the same, and much of their mean-ing remains the same. But some of its wordshave been changed, some have been eliminated,and some have been added. And, very impor-tantly, the meanings of many of its provisionshave been modified as well.

This process of constitutional change, ofmodification and growth, has come about intwo basic ways: (1) by formal amendment and(2) by other, informal means. In this section, youwill look at the first of them: the addition of for-mal amendments to the Constitution.

Formal Amendment ProcessThe Framers knew that even the wisest of consti-tution makers cannot build for all time. Thus, theConstitution provides for its own amendment—that is, for changes in its written words.

Article V sets out two methods for the pro-posal and two methods for the ratification ofconstitutional amendments. So, there are four

TThe Constitution of the United States has nowbeen in force for more than 200 years—

longer, by far, than the written constitution ofany other nation in the world.3

When the Constitution became effective in1789, the United States was a small agriculturalnation of fewer than four million people. Thatpopulation was scattered for some 1,300 milesalong the easternedge of the continent. Travel andcommunications among the 13 States were limit-ed to horseback and sailing ships. The new Statesstruggled to stay alive in a generally hostile world.

Today, nearly 300 million people live in the United States. The now 50States stretch across the conti-nent and beyond, and the coun-try also has many far-flung com-mitments. The United States istoday the most powerful nationon Earth, and its modern, highlyindustrialized and technologicalsociety has produced a standardof living that has long been theenvy of the rest of the world.

How has the Constitution,written in 1787, endured andkept up with that astounding

1790

1860

Today

Population Growth

3The British constitution dates from well before the NormanConquest of 1066, but it is not a single, written document. Rather, itis an “unwritten constitution,” a collection of principles, customs, tra-ditions, and significant parliamentary acts that guide British govern-ment and practice. Israel, which has existed only since 1948, is theonly other state in the world without a written constitution.

� The United States population hasgrown and expanded across the continentsince the Constitution was adopted.The Constitution has been amended tomeet the changing needs of the country.

Teaching the Main Ideas L3

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Reading StrategyFinding EvidenceThe Framers purposely made theprocess of amending theConstitution difficult. Have studentslook for evidence to support thisconclusion as they read.

Point-of-Use Resources

Guided Reading and Review Unit 1booklet, p. 20 provides students withpractice identifying the main ideasand key terms of this section.

Lesson Planner For completelesson planning suggestions, see theLesson Planner booklet, section 2.

Political Cartoons See p. 13 of the Political Cartoons booklet for acartoon relevant to this section.

73

Answer to . . .Interpreting Diagrams It involvesboth the Federal Government andthe States.

Chapter 3 • Section 2

Background NoteRecent ScholarshipAlexander Hamilton, one of the Framersat the Constitutional Convention, waslater portrayed by his political enemiesas something of a monarchist. Thatcharacterization is called into questionin National Book Award winner RonChernow’s biography of Hamilton. InAlexander Hamilton, Chernow portraysa “hasty, erratic, impulsive” but brilliantman, driven by patriotism and a desireto build a strong new nation. Chernowcontends that Hamilton’s most far-reaching work was accomplished whilehe served as Treasury Secretary toPresident Washington, where he laidthe foundations for the political andeconomic superpower the nation hasbecome. Chernow’s extensive researchon the life of Hamilton led him to dubthis intriguing character “the father ofthe American government.”

possible methods of formal amendment—changesor additions that become part of the writtenlanguage of the Constitution itself. The diagramabove sets out these four methods.

First Method An amendment may be pro-posed by a two-thirds vote in each house ofCongress and be ratified by three fourths of theState legislatures. Today, 38 State legislaturesmust approve an amendment for it to become apart of the Constitution. Twenty-six of theConstitution’s 27 amendments were adopted inthis manner.

Second Method An amendment may be pro-posed by Congress and then ratified by con-ventions, called for that purpose, in threefourths of the States. Only the 21stAmendment (1933), was adopted in this way.Conventions were used to ratify the 21stAmendment largely because Congress felt thatthe conventions’ popularly elected delegateswould be more likely to reflect public opinionon the question of the repeal of nationwideprohibition than would State legislators.

Third Method An amendment may be pro-posed by a national convention, called byCongress at the request of two thirds of the Statelegislatures—today, 34. As you can see in the

diagram, it must then be ratified by three fourthsof the State legislatures. To this point, Congresshas not called such a convention.4

Fourth Method An amendment may be pro-posed by a national convention and ratified byconventions in three fourths of the States.Remember that the Constitution itself wasadopted in much this same way.

Federalism and Popular Sovereignty Note that the formal amendment process empha-sizes the federal character of the governmentalsystem. Proposal takes place at the national leveland ratification is a State-by-State matter. Alsonote that when the Constitution is amended, thataction represents the expression of the people’ssovereign will. The people have spoken.

Some criticize the practice of sending pro-posed amendments to the State legislaturesrather than to ratifying conventions, especially

4The calling of a convention was a near thing twice over the past40 years. Between 1963 and 1969, 33 State legislatures, one shortof the necessary two thirds, sought an amendment to erase theSupreme Court’s “one-person, one-vote” decisions; see Chapter 24.Also, between 1975 and 1983, 32 States asked for a convention to propose an amendment that would require that the federal budget be balanced each year, except in time of war or other national emergency.

Formal Amendment Process

23

23

34

34

23

23

34

34

Step 1Amendment Is Proposed

Proposed at a national convention called byCongress when requested by (34) of the State legislatures

Proposed by Congress by a vote in both houses

Step 2Amendment Is Ratified

Ratified by conventions held in (38) of the States

Ratified by the State legislatures of (38) of the States

Interpreting Diagrams The fourdifferent ways in which amend-ments may be added to theConstitution are shown here. Allbut one of the 27 amendmentswere proposed in Congress andthen ratified by the State legis-latures. How does the formalamendment process illustratefederalism?

Use this complete suite of powerfulteaching tools to make planninglessons and administering testsquicker and easier.

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The EnduringConstitution

Changing Views of Free SpeechThe 1st Amendment to the U.S.Constitution specifically guaranteed“the freedom of speech or of thepress.” The right to criticize the government had been established as early as 1735 when John PeterZenger, the publisher of the New-YorkWeekly Journal, was acquitted ofcriminal libel. After the temporaryAlien and Sedition Acts(1798–1801), which included cen-sorship clauses, were repealed, news-papers in the United States returnedto polemics and public campaignsand set off on a course that was tohelp shape the modern character ofthe popular newspaper worldwide.

Using the Time LineDiscuss the “clear and present danger”exception to the 1st Amendment as an attempt to strike a balancebetween individual freedom and the rights of society as a whole. Askstudents to choose a court decisionfrom the time line and write a shortessay discussing whether the SupremeCourt properly drew the line betweenindividual rights and the rights ofsociety in that case. Point out thatmore information about changingviews of free speech is available atPHSchool.com

Point-of-Use Resources

The Enduring Constitution See pp. 9–10 for two extensions of this activity.

Basic Principles of the ConstitutionTransparencies Transparency 1, TheEnduring Constitution: FreeSpeech/Free Press

Section Support TransparenciesTransparency 16, Visual Learning;Transparency 115, Political Cartoon

For career-related links and activities, visitthe Magruder’s American Governmentcompanion Web site in the Social Studiesarea at the Prentice Hall School Web site.

74

Chapter 3 • Section 2

Make It Relevant

Much of what we know about the history ofAmerican government—from the ConstitutionalConvention onward—we owe to the work oftranscriptionists. They perform the vital service ofrecording the reflections, speeches, debates, andvotes that shape our government. The transcriptsthey produce are invaluable records of the pastthat help us understand the present and choose

our future. Transcriptionists work occasionally by hand and more often by shorthand machine,by voice recorder, and, increasingly, by computer. Skills Activity Direct pairs of students to take turnsreading a speech aloud and trying to record it byhand or computer. Then have them write para-graphs explaining why they would or would not beinterested in a career as a transcriptionist.

Careers in Government—Transcriptionist

Proposed AmendmentsThe Constitution places only one restriction onthe subjects with which a proposed amendmentmay deal. Article V declares that “no State,without its Consent, shall be deprived of itsequal Suffrage in the Senate.’’

When both houses of Congress pass a resolu-tion proposing an amendment, Congress doesnot send it to the President to be signed orvetoed, though the Constitution would seem torequire it.5 This is because when Congress pro-poses an amendment, it is not making law (notlegislating).

If a State rejects a proposed amendment, it isnot forever bound by that action. It may laterreconsider and ratify the proposal. Most constitu-tional scholars agree that the reverse is not true,

because it permits a constitutional change with-out a clear-cut expression by the people. Thecritics point out that State legislators, who dothe ratifying, are elected to office for a mix ofreasons: party membership; name familiarity;their stands on such matters as taxes, schools,welfare programs; and a host of other things.They are almost never chosen because of theirstand on a proposed amendment to the federalConstitution. On the other hand, the delegatesto a ratifying convention would be chosen by thepeople on the basis of only one factor: a yes-or-no stand on the proposed amendment.

The Supreme Court has held that a State can-not require an amendment proposed byCongress to be approved by a vote of the peopleof the State before it can be ratified by the Statelegislature. It made that ruling in Hawke v.Smith in 1920. However, a state legislature cancall for an advisory vote by the people before itacts, as the Court most recently held in Kimblev. Swackhamer in 1978.

5See Article I, Section 7, Clause 3. This practice of not submittingproposed amendments to the President is an example of the manychanges in the Constitution that have been made by means otherthan formal amendment, a matter we shall turn to shortly.

The guarantees of freedom ofspeech and press, set out in the1st Amendment, have producedcontroversy for more than 200years now.

Changing Views of Free Speech

1798 Sedition Actmakes it a crime to

criticize the government in speech or writing.

The law is not renewedafter the election

of 1800.

1919 Supreme Court rules thatsending written material to eligiblemen urging them to resist the draft is unlawful because it creates a “clear and present danger” to nationalsecurity. (Schenck v. United States)

1918 Sedition Act,added to Espionage Act

of 1917, passed; pro-hibits speech, writing,

or publishing critical of the form of govern-

ment in the U.S.

1800

1925 Supreme Court rulesthat 14th Amendment’s dueprocess Clause incorporates the1st Amendment’s guarantees offreedom of speech and press.(Gitlow v. New York)

1925Changing Views of Free Speech

The EnduringConstitution

PHSchool.com

Use Web Code mqp-1036to access an interactivetime line.

PHSchool.com

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Divide the class into groups of 3–4students. Using the words from thePolitical Dictionary in this section,assign each group one of the terms.Have each group perform a 30-secondskit that illustrates the meaning ofthe term that was assigned to it.While watching each performance,groups should write down the termthey believe has been acted out.ELL

Divide the class into groups of threestudents. Have students assign theroles of discussion leader, recorder,and spokesperson. Ask them to comeup with an amendment they wouldlike to see added to the Constitution.In addition, have each group choosethe process they think could mostlikely result in ratification. When fin-ished, have the spokesperson foreach group present their amendmentand their choice.

75

Chapter 3 • Section 2

Answers to . . .Analyzing Time Lines1. The Supreme Court held thatburning the American flag is a formof symbolic speech protected by the1st Amendment. 2. In Shenck, the Court held thatsending antiwar pamphlets todraftees was not protected by the1st Amendment because it present-ed a clear and present danger tonational security. In Tinker, the Court decided that wearing an armband in school to protestthe Vietnam War was protected by the 1st Amendment because it did not pose a clear and presentdanger to national security.

however. Once a State has approved an amend-ment, that action is final and unchangeable.

Nearly 15,000 joint resolutions calling foramendments to the Constitution have been pro-posed in Congress since 1789. Only 33 of themhave been sent on to the States. Of those, only27 have been finally ratified. One of the unrati-fied amendments had been offered by Congressin 1789—along with 10 other proposals thatbecame the Bill of Rights in 1791, and anotherthat became the 27th Amendment in 1992. Theunratified amendment of 1789 dealt with thedistribution of seats in the House ofRepresentatives. A second amendment, proposedin 1810, would have voided the citizenship ofanyone accepting any foreign title or otherhonor. Another, in 1861, would have prohibitedforever any amendment relating to slavery. Afourth, in 1924, was intended to empowerCongress to regulate child labor. A fifth one, pro-claiming the equal rights of women (ERA), was

proposed by Congress in 1972; it fell three Statesshort of ratification and died in 1982. An amend-ment to give the District of Columbia seats inCongress was proposed in 1978; it died in 1985.Congress can place “a reasonable time limit” onthe ratification process, Dillon v. Gloss, 1921.When Congress proposed the 18th Amendment(in 1917), it set a seven-year deadline for its rat-ification. It has set a similar deadline for the rat-ification of each of the amendments (except the19th) it has proposed since, although Congressgranted the ERA a three-year extension in 1979.

The 27 AmendmentsThe Constitution’s 27 amendments are describedin the table on the next page. As you review theamendments, note this important fact: As signif-icant as they are, these 27 amendments have notin fact been responsible for the extraordinaryvitality of the Constitution. That is to say, they

1951 Supreme Court upholdsthe Smith Act of 1940 and rejectschallenge by 11 Communist Partyleaders convicted of conspiring toteach and advocate violent over-throw of government. (Dennis v.United States)

1969 Supreme Court decides thatthe Constitution protects studentswho wear armbands in school to

protest the Vietnam War. (Tinker v.Des Moines School District)

Analyzing Time Lines1. What was the Court’s reason for protecting a protester

who burned an American flag? 2. Both the Schenck case (1919) and the Tinker case

(1969) involved antiwar protests. How would you explainthe difference between the Supreme Court decisions?

1971 Government tries to stop the New York Timespublication of the “Pentagon Papers” about theVietnam War. The Supreme Court upholds the paper’sright to do so. (New York Times v. United States)

1989 Supreme Court rules thatburning an American flag as a politicalprotest is “symbolic speech,” protectedby the 1st and 14th amendments.(Texas v. Johnson)

2006 Supreme Court holdsthat the 1st Amendment doesnot give unlimited protectionto "whistle-blowers"—publicemployees who expose governmental misconduct.(Garcetti v. Ceballos )

1950 1975 2000

theof.

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Time 90 minutes.Purpose Relate the importance of theBill of Rights to everyday life.Grouping Two to three students.(Each student will draw a numberfrom 1–10, with each number corre-sponding to the amendment with thesame number. Students with thesame number become a group.)Activity Students discuss the signifi-cance of the first 10 amendments tothe Constitution. Then students withthe same number work together towrite a brief position paper on howsociety would be different had theiramendment not been added to theConstitution.Roles Discussion leader, recorder,spokesperson. Close When the recorder has preparedthe final draft, the spokesperson willpresent the paper to the class.

Point-of-Use Resources

Block Scheduling with LessonStrategies Additional activities forChapter 3 appear on p. 20.

Government Assessment RubricsPosition Paper, p. 12

Simulations and Data GraphingCD-ROM offers data graphing

tools that give students practice withcreating and interpreting graphs.

ABC News Civics andGovernment Videotape Library

The Blessings of Liberty, Introductionand the 1789–1803 segment (time:about 38 minutes)

76

Answer to . . .Interpreting Tables The 26thAmendment; the 27th Amendment.

Chapter 3 • Section 2

Magruder’s American Government Video Collection

The Magruder’s Video Collection explores keyissues and debates in American government. Eachsegment examines an issue central to chaptercontent through use of historical and contempo-rary footage. Commentary from civic leaders inacademics, government, and the media followeach segment. Critical-thinking questions focusstudents’ attention on key issues, and may beused to stimulate discussion.

Use the Chapter 3 segment to explore the originsof the system of checks and balances in theseries of essays known as The Federalist Papers,whose authors wanted to reassure their readersthat the new Constitution would not result inan oppressive central government because nosingle branch would be more powerful than theothers. The segment goes on to examineinstances in American history where the systemof checks and balances has come into play.

Box HeadSpotlight on TechnologySpotlight on Technology

the law. We shall consider these guarantees atsome length in Chapters 19 and 20. The 10thAmendment does not deal with civil rights assuch. Rather, it spells out the concept of reservedpowers in the federal system.

The Later AmendmentsEach of the other amendments that have beenadded to the Constitution over the past 200years also grew out of some particular, and ofteninteresting, set of circumstances. For example,the 11th Amendment declares that no State maybe sued in the federal courts by a citizen ofanother State or by a citizen of any foreign state.It was proposed by Congress in 1794 and rati-fied in 1795, after the State of Georgia had lostits case in the United States Supreme Court. Thecase (Chisholm v. Georgia, decided by the Courtin 1793) had been brought to the brand newfederal court system by a man who lived inSouth Carolina.

have not been a major part of the process bywhich the Constitution has kept pace with morethan two centuries of far-reaching change.

The Bill of RightsThe first ten amendments were added to theConstitution less than three years after it becameeffective. They were proposed by the first sessionof the First Congress in 1789 and were ratifiedby the States in late 1791. Each of these amend-ments arose out of the controversy surroundingthe ratification of the Constitution itself. Manypeople, including Thomas Jefferson, had agreedto support the Constitution only if a listing ofthe basic rights held by the people were added toit immediately.

Collectively, the first ten amendments areknown as the Bill of Rights. They set out the greatconstitutional guarantees of freedom of beliefand expression, of freedom and security of theperson, and of fair and equal treatment before

Amendments to the Constitution

Amendment Subject Year Time Required for Ratification

1st–10th

11th

12th

13th

14th

15th

16th

17th

18th

19th

20th

21st

22nd

23rd

24th

25th

26th

27th

1791

1795

1804

1865

1868

1870

1913

1913

1919

1920

1933

1933

1951

1961

1964

1967

1971

1992

Bill of Rights

Immunity of States from certain lawsuits

Changes in electoral college procedures

Abolition of slavery

Citizenship, due process, equal protection

No denial of vote because of race, color, or previous enslavement

Power of Congress to tax incomes

Popular election of U.S. Senators

Prohibition of alcohol

Woman suffrage

Change of dates for start of presidentialand Congressional terms

Repeal of Prohibition (18th Amendment)

Limit on presidential terms

District of Columbia vote in presidentialelections

Ban of tax payment as voter qualification

Presidential succession, vice presidential vacancy, and presidential disability

Voting age of 18

Congressional pay

2 years, 2 months, 20 days

11 months, 3 days

6 months, 6 days

10 months, 6 days

2 years, 26 days

11 months, 8 days

3 years, 6 months, 22 days

10 months, 26 days

1 year, 29 days

1 year, 2 months, 14 days

10 months, 21 days

9 months, 15 days

3 years, 11 months, 6 days

9 months, 13 days

1 year, 4 months, 27 days

1 year, 7 months, 4 days

3 months, 8 days

202 years, 7 months, 12 days

Interpreting Tables These 27 amendments have been added to the Constitution since itbecame effective in 1789. Which amendment was adopted in the shortest time?Which one took the most time to ratify?

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Point-of-Use Resources

Guide to the Essentials Chapter 3,Section 2, p. 25 provides sup-

port for students who need additionalreview of section content. Spanishsupport is available in the Spanishedition of the Guide on p. 18.

Quiz Unit 1 booklet, p. 21includes matching and multiple-choice questions to check students’understanding of Section 2 content.

Presentation Pro CD-ROM Quizzesand multiple-choice questions

check students’ understanding ofSection 2 content.

Answers to . . .

Section 2 Assessment1. Twelve.2. Proposal by a two-thirds vote ineach house and ratification by threefourths of the State legislatures; pro-posal by Congress and ratification byspecial conventions in three fourthsof the States; proposal by a nationalconvention at the request of twothirds of State legislatures and ratifi-cation by three fourths of the legisla-tures; proposal by a national con-vention and ratification by threefourths of conventions in the States.3. Freedoms should include those ofbelief and expression; freedom andsecurity of the person; and fair andequal treatment before the law.4. Possible answer: The act of amend-ment is meant to be an expressionof all the people’s will. If only onehouse were required to agree to theproposal of an amendment, all ofthe people would not be adequatelyrepresented.5. Examples: 1800 election producedno winner and necessitated changesto the electoral college, leading tothe 12th Amendment; need to repealprohibition led to the 21stAmendment; Vietnam War and theidea that if one is old enough tofight, one is old enough to voteprompted the 26th Amendment.6. So that States can exercise theprinciple of popular sovereignty andso that the Constitution cannot beamended frivolously.

77

Chapter 3 • Section 2The 12th Amendment was added to the

Constitution in 1804 after the electoral collegehad failed to produce a winner in the presiden-tial election of 1800. Thomas Jefferson becamethe third President of the United States in 1801,but only after a long, bitter fight in the House ofRepresentatives.

The 13th Amendment, added in 1865, pro-vides another example. It abolished slavery inthe United States and was a direct result of theCivil War. So, too, were the 14th Amendment oncitizenship (in 1868) and the 15th Amendmenton the right to vote (in 1870).

As you can see in the table on page 76, the18th Amendment, establishing a nationwideprohibition of alcohol, was ratified in 1919.What came to be known as “the noble experi-ment” lasted fewer than 14 years. The 18thAmendment was repealed by the 21st in 1933.

The 22nd Amendment (1951) was proposedin 1947, soon after the Republican Party hadgained control of Congress for the first time in 16years. Over that period, Franklin D. Roosevelt, aDemocrat, had won the presidency four times.

The 26th Amendment was added in 1971. Itlowered the voting age to 18 in all elections inthe United States. Many of those who backedthe amendment began to work for its passageduring World War II, with the argument “Oldenough to fight, old enough to vote.” Its ratifi-cation was spurred by the war in Vietnam.

� Two ERA Supporters People fought unsuccess-fully in the 1970s and 1980s to add the Equal RightsAmendment to the Constitution.

The most recent amendment, the 27th, wasamong the first to be offered by Congress. Thisamendment forbids members of Congress fromraising their own pay during that term. It wasproposed in 1789 and ratified nearly 203 yearslater, in 1992.

Key Terms and Main Ideas1. How many amendments were added to the Constitution in

the twentieth century?2. Describe the four possible methods of formal amendment.3. In your own words, describe three freedoms protected by

the Bill of Rights.

Critical Thinking4. Drawing Conclusions Why does the Constitution provide

that both houses of Congress must agree to the proposal of an amendment?

5. Determining Cause and Effect Cite three events or con-troversies that led to amendments to the Constitution,

and explain how each of these amendments settled a particular question.

6. Drawing Inferences Why does the Constitution require anextraordinary majority for the ratification of amendments tothe Constitution?

PHSchool.com

For: An activity on the amend-ments to the Constitution

Web Code: mqd-1032

Progress Monitoring OnlineFor: Self-quiz with vocabulary practiceWeb Code: mqa-1032

PHSchool.com

Progress Monitoring OnlineFor: Self-quiz with vocabulary practiceWeb Code: mqa-1032

Typing in the Web Code whenprompted will bring students directly to detailedinstructions for this activity.

PHSchool.com

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