First Amendment: Freedom of religion, freedom of speech and the press, the right to assemble, the right to petition government.
Second Amendment: The right to form a militia and to keep and bear arms.
Third Amendment: The right not to have soldiers in one's home.
Fourth Amendment: Protection against unreasonable search and seizure.
Fifth Amendment: No one can be tried for a serious crime unless indicted (accused) by a grand jury. No one can be forced to testify against herself or himself. No one can be punished without due process of law. People must be paid for property taken for public use.
Sixth Amendment: People have a right to a speedy trial, to legal counsel, and to confront their accusers.
Seventh Amendment: People have the right to a jury trial in civil suits exceeding $20.
Eighth Amendment: Protection against excessive bail (money to release a person from jail), stiff fines, and cruel and unusual punishment.
Ninth Amendment: Because there are so many basic human rights, not all of them could be listed in the Constitution. This amendment means that the rights that are enumerated cannot infringe upon rights that are not listed in the Constitution.
Tenth Amendment: Powers not given to the federal government by the Constitution belong to the states or the people.
The Constitution is a living and evolving document. One of the ways that the Constitution is changed is through the amendment process. It can be an arduous process, requiring agreement by many different segments of society and the government, and it does not always work out. But it is the only way to make a permanent change to the Constitution. Changes in interpretation are common as time progresses, but only by having actual text added can a change be called a part of the Constitution.
In every session of Congress, hundreds of constitutional amendments are proposed. Almost never do any of them become actual Amendments. In fact, almost never do any of them even get out of committee. According to a study by C-SPAN, this is a count of the number of amendments proposed in each of the sessions of Congress in the 1990's:
106th (1999 only): 60
105th (1997-98): 103
104th (1995-96): 158
103rd (1993-94): 156
102nd (1991-92): 165
101st (1989-90): 214
109th Congress (2005-2006)
To ensure reproductive rights of women
To force the Congress and President to agree to a balanced budget, with overspending allowed only in the case of a three-fifths vote of Congress
To ensure that all children who are citizens have a right to a "free and adequate education"
To specifically permit prayer at school meetings and ceremonies
To allow non-natural born citizens to become President if they have been a citizen for 20 years
To specifically allow Congress to regulate the amount of personal funds a candidate to public office can expend in a campaign
To ensure that apportionment of Representatives be set by counting only citizens
To make the filibuster in the Senate a part of the Constitution
To provide for continuity of government in case of a catastrophic event
The "Every Vote Counts" Amendment - providing for direct election of the President and Vice President, abolishing the Electoral College
To clarify eminent domain, specifically that no takings can be transferred to a private person except for transportation projects
Providing a right to work, for equal pay for equal work, the right to organize, and the right to favorable work conditions
To allow the President to reduce any Congressional appropriation, or to disapprove of same (akin to a line-item veto)
http://ratify.constitutioncenter.org/constitution/index_no_flash.php
http://www.annenbergclassroom.org/page/all-games-and-interactives
http://glencoe.com/sites/common_assets/socialstudies/in_motion_08/civ/CIV_087.swf
http://web.jccc.edu/constitution/gameshow/gameshow.htm
ON-LINE TOOL:
http://school.cengage.com/blaw/lawxtra/studytools/ch02/lawxtra02-1tyk.html
The Constitution is a living and evolving document. One of the ways that the Constitution is changed is through the amendment process. It can be an arduous process, requiring agreement by many different segments of society and the government, and it does not always work out. But it is the only way to make a permanent change to the Constitution. Changes in interpretation are common as time progresses, but only by having actual text added can a change be called a part of the Constitution.
In every session of Congress, hundreds of constitutional amendments are proposed. Almost never do any of them become actual Amendments. In fact, almost never do any of them even get out of committee.
According to a study by C-SPAN, this is a count of the number of amendments proposed in each of the sessions of Congress in the 1990's:
109th Congress (2005-2006)