Show w'i ra THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA of the United States in order to form a more perfect union establish justice insure domestic tranquility provide for the common defense 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 The Legislative Branch 1 — Congress All legislative powers herein Legislative powers 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 Composition term election 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 2 Qualifications No person shall be a representative who shall not have attained to the age of 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 3 Apportionment of representatives and direct taxes 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 s of all other persons taxed The actual enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the United States and term of ten years in such within every subsequent manner as they shall by law direct The number of shall not exceed one for every thirty representatives thousand but each state shall have at least one and until such enumeration shall be representative made the state of New Hampshire shall be entitled to choose three Massachusetts eight Rhode Island and one Connecticut Providence Plantations five New York six New Jersey four Pennsylvania eight one Maryland six Virginia ten North Delaware Carolina five South Carolina five and Georgia three 4 Vacancies When vacancies happen in the representation from any state the executive authority thereof shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies 5 Officers and impeachment The House of shall choose their speaker and other Representatives officers and shall have the sole power of impeachment Section 3—The Senate term The Senate of the United Composition 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 2 Classification 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 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 until the thereof may make temporary' appointments whieh shall then fill next meeting of the legislature such vacancies 3 Qualifications 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 4 President of Senate of the The United States shall be president of the Senate but shall have no vote unless they be equally divided 5 Other officers The Senate shall choose their other officers and also a president pro tempore in the absence of the or when he shall exercise the office of president of the United States The Senate shall have the sole 6 Impeachments When sitting for that power to try all impeachments 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 of the members present the concurrence of 7 Judgment in cases of conviction 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 trial nevertheless be liable and subject to indictment according to law judgment and punishment Section Elections and Meetings and times places for senators and be shall prescribed in each state by the representatives time at any legislature thereof but the Congress may by law make or alter such regulations except as to the places of choosing senators 2 Meeting of Congress 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— Congressional Rules and Procedures Admission of members quorum Each house shall be the judge of the elections returns and qualifications and a majority of each shall of its own members but a smaller constitute a quorum to do business 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 2 Rules of procedure Each house may determine the rules of its proceedings punish its members for of and with the concurrence behavior disorderly expel a member 3 Journals Each house shall keep a journal of its proceedings and from time to time publish the same excepting such parts as may in their judgment require secrecy and the yeas and nays of the members of either of house on any auestion shall at the desire of those present be entered on the journal Neither house during the session 4 Adjournment of Congress shall without the consent of the other other adjourn for more than three days nor to any be sitting place than that in which the two houses shall Section 6 — Compensations Privileges and Restrictions and Compensation and privileges The senators for their representatives shall receive a compensation services to be ascertained by law and paid out of the all cases treasury of the United States They shall in be except treason felony and breach of the peace at the privileged from arrest during their attendance session of their respective houses and in going to and debate or for and same any speech returning from the in either house they shall not be questioned in any other place No senator or 2 Holding other offices prohibited which he was representative shall during the time for to any civil office under the elected be appointed shall have been which States authority of the United created or the emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time and no person holding any Section 4— Congressional 1 Election regulations The manner of holding elections office under the United States shall be a member of either house during his continuance in office Section 7 — Procedure for Passing Laws Revenue bills All bills for raising revenue shall but the originate in the House of Representatives Senate may propose or concur with amendments as on other bills 2 How bills become laws Every bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate shall before it becomes a law be presented to the president of the United States if he approves he shall sign it but if not he shall return it with his objections to that house in which it shall have originated who shall enter the objections at large on their journal and proceed to reconsider it If after such reconsideration of that house shall agree to pass the bill it shall be sent together with the to the other house objections by which it shall likewise be reconsidered and if approved by of that house it shall become a law But in all such cases the votes of both houses shall be determined by yeas and nays and the names of the persons voting for and against the bill shall be entered on the journal of each house respectively If any bill shall not be returned by the president within ten days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him the same shall be a law in like manner as if he had signed it unless the Congress by their adjournment prevent its return in which case it shall not be a law 3 The President's approval or disapproval (veto power) Every order resolution or vote to which the concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be necessary (except on a question of adjournment) shall be presentee! to the president of the United States and before the same shall take effect shall be approved by him or being disapproved by him shall be repassed by of the Senate and House of Representatives according to the rules and limitations prescribed in the case of a bill Section 8 — Powers Granted to Congress The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes duties imposts and excises to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States but all duties imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States 2 To borrow money on the credit of the United States 3 To regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several states and with the Indian tribes 4 To establish a uniform rule of naturalization and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States 5 To coin money regulate the value thereof and of foreign coin and fix the standard of weights and measures 6 To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States 7 To establish post offices and post roads 8 To promote the progress of science and useful arts by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries 9 To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court 10 To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas and offenses against the law of nations 11 To declare war grant letters of marque and reprisal and make rules concerning captures on land and water 12 To raise and support armies but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years 13 To provide and maintain a navy 14 To make rules for the government and regulation-othe land and naval forces 15 To provide for calling forth the militia to execute and the laws of the Union suppress insurrections repel invasions 16 To provide for organizing arming and disciplining the militia and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States reserving to the states respectively the appointment of the officers and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress in all cases 17 To exercise exclusive legislation whatsoever over such district (not exceeding ten miles square) as may by cession of particular states and the of seat of the become the Congress acceptance government of the United States and to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the consent of the legislature of the state in which the same shall be for the erection of forts magazines arsenals dockyards and other needful buildings and 18 To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States or in any department or officer thereof Section 9 — Powers Denied to Congress The migration or importation of such persons as any of the states now existing shall think proper to admit shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight but a not tax or duty may be imposed on such importation exceeding ten dollars for each person 2 The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not unless when in cases of rebellion or be suspended invasion the public safety may require it 3 No bill of attainder or ex post facto law shall be passed 4 No capitation or other direct tax shall be laid to the census or enumeration unless in proportion herein before directed to be taken 5 No tax or duty shall be laid on articles exported from any state 6 No preference shall be given by any regulation of commerce or revenue to the ports of one state over those of another nor shall vessels bound to or from one state be obliged to enter clear or pay duties in another 7 Public money No money shall be drawn from the made by treasury but in consequence of appropriations law and a regular statement and account of the receipts and expenditures of all public money shall be from to time time published 8 Titles of nobility No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States and no person holding any office of profit or trust under them shall without the consent of the Congress accept of any present office or title of any kind whatever from emolument any king prince or foreign state Section 10— Powers Denied to the States No state shall enter into any treaty alliance or confederation grant letters of marque and reprisal coin money emit bills of credit make anything but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts pass any bill of attainder ex post facto law or law impairing the obligation of contracts or grant any title of nobility 2 No state shall without the consent of the Congress lay any imposts or duties on imports or exports except what may be absolutely necessary for executing its inspection laws and the net produce of all duties and imposts laid by any state on imports or exports shall be for the use of the treasury of the United States and all such laws shall be subject to the revision and control of the Congress 3 No state shall without the consent of Congress lay any duty of tonnage keep troops or ships of war in time of peace enter into any agreement or compact with another state or with a foreign power or engage in war unless actually invaded or in such imminent danger as will not admit of delay ARTICLE II Executive Branch Section 1 —President and Executive power term of president The executive power shall be vested in a president of the United States of America He shall hold his office during the term of four years and together with the chosen for the same term be elected as follows 2 Electors Each state shall appoint in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct a number of electors equal to the whole number of senators and representatives to which the state may be entitled in the Congress or but no senator or representative person holding an office of trust or profit under the United States shall be appointed an elector 3 Original election method The electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for two of whom one at least shall not be an persons inhabitant of the same state with themselves And they shall make a list of all the persons voted for and of the number of votes for each which list they shall sign and and transmit sealed to the seat of the certify of the United States directed to the government president of the Senate The president of the Senate shall in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted The person having the greatest number of votes shall be the president if such number be a majority of number of electors appointed and if there be more than one who have such majority and have an equal number of votes then the House of Representatives shall immediately choose by ballot one of them for president and if no person have a majority then from the five highest on the list the said House shall in like manner choose the But in choosing the president the votes president shall be taken by states the representation from each state having one vote a quorum for this purpose shall of the consist of a member or members from states and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice In every case after the choice of the president the person having the greatest number of But if votes of the electors shall be the there should remain two or more who have equal votes the Senate shall choose from them by ballot the ' 4 Time of elections The Congress may determine the time of choosing the electors and the day on which they shall give their votes which day shall be the same throughout the United States i5 Qualifications No person except a natural born the United- States at the time of' citizen or a citizen-oshall be eligible to the the adoption of this Constitution office ot 'president neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of years and been fourteen years a resident within the United States 6 President's disability or removal In case of the removal of the president from office or of his death or inability to discharge the powers and resignation duties of the said office the same shall devolve on the and the Congress may by law provide for the case of removal death resignation or inability both of the president and declaring what officer shall then act as president and such officer shall act accordingly until the disability be removed or a president shall be elected 7 Salary The president shall at stated times which shall receive for his services a compensation neither be increased nor diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected and he shall not receive within that period any other emolument from the United States or any of them 8 Oath of office Before he enter on the execution of his office he shall take the following oath or affirmation: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States and will to the best of my Ability preserve protect and defend the Constitution of the United States" Section 2— Powers of the President 1 Military powers reprieves and pardons The President shall be commander in chief of the army and navy of the United States and of the militia of the several states when called into the actual service of the United States He may require the opinion in writing of the principal officer in each of the executive departments upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices and he shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States except in cases of impeachment He shall have power by 2 Treaties appointments and with the advice and consent of the Senate to make of the senators present treaties provided concur and he shall nominate and by and with the shall appoint advice and consent of the Senate ambassadors other public ministers and consuls judges of the Supreme Court and all other officers of the United States whose appointments are not herein otherwise provided for and which shall be established by law but the Congress may by law vest the of such inferior officers as they think appointment proper in the president alone in the courts of law or in the heads of departments 3 Filling vacancies The president shall have power to fill up all vacancies that may happen during the recess of the Senate by granting commissions which shall expire at the end of their next session Section 3 — Other Powers and Duties of the President He shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the Union and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge he may on extraordinary necessary and expedient occasions convene both houses or either of them and in case of disagreement between them with respect to the time of adjournment he may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper he shall receive ambassadors and other public ministers he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed and shall commission all the officers of the United States Section 4 — Impeachment and all civil officers of The president the United States shall be removed from office on impeachment for and conviction of treason bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors ARTICLE III Judicial Branch Section 1 — Federal Courts Judicial power judges The judicial power of the United States shall be vested in one Supreme Court and in such inferior courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish The judges both of the Supreme and inferior courts shall hold their offices and shall at stated times good behavior which shall receive for their services a compensation not be diminished during their continuance in office Section 2 — Jurisdiction Federal courts in general The judicial power shall extend to all cases in law and equity arising under this the laws of the United States and treaties Constitution made or which shall be made under their authority to other public ministers all cases affecting ambassadors and consuls to all cases of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction to controversies to which the United States shall be a party to controversies between two or more states between a state and citizens of another state between citizens of different states between citizens of the same state claiming lands under grants of different states and between a state or the citizens thereof and foreign states citizensor subjects 2 Supreme Court In all cases affecting ambassadors other public ministers and consuls and those in which a state shall be party the Supreme Court shall have fn all the other cases before original jurisdiction the Supreme Court shall have appellate mentioned jurisdiction both as to law and fact with such under such and regulations as the Congress exceptions shall make 3 Trial rules The trial of all crimes except in cases shall be by jury and such trial shall be of impeachment held in the state where the said crimes shall have been committed but when not committed within any state the trial shall be at such place or places as the Congress may by law have directed Section 3 —Treason Definition evidence Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them or in adhering to their enemies giving them aid and comfort No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act or on confession in open court The Congress shall have power to 2 Punishment declare the punishment of treason but no attainder of treason shall work corruption of blood or forfeiture except during the life of the person attainted during ARTICLE IV Relations of the States Section 1 —Acts Records and Court Proceedings Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts records and judicial proceedings of every other state And the Congress may by general laws prescribe the manner in which such acts records and proceedings shall be proved and the effect thereof Section 2 — States' and Citizens' Privileges 1 Citizens' privileges The citizens of each state shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several states A person charged in any state with 2 Extradition treason felony or other crime who shall flee from justice and be found in another state shall on demand of the executive authority of the state from which he fled be delivered up to be removed to the state having jurisdiction of the crime 3 Fugitive laborers No person held to service or labor in one stqte under the bws thereof escaping into another shall in consequence of any law or regulation therein be discharged from such service or labor but shall be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such service or labor may be due Section 3—New States and Territories 1 Admission of new states New states may be admitted by the Congress into this Union but no new state shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other state nor any state be formed by the junction of two or more states or parts of states without the consent of the legislatures of the states concerned as well as of the Congress 2 Power of Congress over territory and property The Congress shall have power to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory or other property belonging to the United States and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to prejudice any claims of the United States or of any particular state Section 4 — Protection of States Guaranteed protection against invasion Republican government and rebellion The United States shall guarantee to every state in this Union a republican form of and shall protect each of them against government invasion and on application of the legislature or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be convened) against domestic violence ARTICLE V Amending the Constitution of both houses amendments to of the shall call states of the several legislatures of which in for proposing amendments a convention either case shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of this Constitution when ratified by the of the several states or by legislatures of thereof as the one or the conventions in other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress provided that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article and that no state without its consent shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate The Congress whenever shall deem it necessary shall propose this Constitution or on the application ARTICLE VI Qeneral Provisions All debts contracted and enDebts recognized gagements entered into before the adoption of this Constitution shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution as under the Confederation 2 Supreme law of the land This Constitution and the laws of the United States which shall be made in which shall pursuance thereof and all treaties made or be made under the authority of the United States shall be the supreme law of the land and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby anything in the constitution or laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding 3 Oath of office The senators and representatives before mentioned and the members of the several state legislatures and all executive and judicial officers both of the United States and of the several states shall be bound by oath or affirmation to support this but no religious test shall ever be required Constitution as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States ARTICLE VII Ratification The ratification of the conventions of nine states shall be sufficient for the establishment of this Constitution between the states so ratifying the same Done in convention by the unanimous consent of the states present the seventeenth day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and of the United and of the independence States of America the twelfth In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names |