Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, exception cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.
In suits at common-law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.
Excess bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
The judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by citizens of another State, or by citizens or subjects of any foreign State.
The electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by ballot for President and Vice President, on of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same State with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the 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 for President, shall be the Presidents, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for a President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by States, the representation from each State having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-third of the States, and a majority of all the States shall be necessary to a choice. And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of march next following, then the Vice President shall act as President, as in the case of the death or other constitutional disability of the President. --The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice President, shall be the Vice President, if such number by a majority of the whole number of electors appointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice President; a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-third of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice President of the United State.
SECTION 1: Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except
as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been
duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any
place subject to their jurisdiction.
SECTION 2: Congress shall have power to enforce this article
by appropriate legislation.
SECTION 1: All persons born or naturalized in the United
States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the
United States and of the State wherein they reside. No
Sate shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the
privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor
shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property,
without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its
jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
SECTION 2: Representatives shall be apportioned among the
several States according to their respective numbers, counting
the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians
not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the
choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United
States, Representatives in Congress, the executive and judicial
officers of a State, or the members of the legislature thereof, is
denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being
twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or
in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or
other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced
in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall
bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of
age in such State.
SECTION 3: No person shall be a Senator or Representative
in congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold
any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under
any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member
of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of
any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall
have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or
given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may
be a vote of two-thirds of each house, remove such disability.
SECTION 4: The validity of the public debt of the United
States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment
of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection
or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United
States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation
incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United
States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave;
but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal
and avoid
SECTION 5: The Congress shall have power to enforce, by
appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
SECTION 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote
shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any
State on account of race, color, or previous condition of
servitude.
SECTION 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this
article by appropriate legislation.
The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.
SECTION 1. The Senate of the United States shall be composed
of two senators from each State, elected by the people thereof,
for six years; and each senator shall have one vote. The electors
in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors
in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors
of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures.
SECTION 2. When vacancies happen in the representation of
any State in the senate, the executive authority of such State
shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided,
that the legislature of any State may empower the executive
thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill
the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct.
SECTION 3. This amendment shall not be so construed as to
affect the election or term of any senator chosen before it
becomes valid as part of the Constitution.
SECTION 1. After one year from the ratification of this article
the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors
within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof
from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction
thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.
SECTION 2. The Congress and the several States shall
have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate
legislation.
SECTION 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall
have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the
legislatures of 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 right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
SECTION 1. The terms of the President and Vice President
shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of
Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3rd day of January,
of the years in which such terms would have ended if this
article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors
shall then begin.
SECTION 2. The Congress shall assemble at least once in
every year, and such meeting shall begin at noon on the 3rd day
of January, unless they shall by law appoint a different day.
SECTION 3. If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term
of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice
President elect shall become President. If a President shall not
have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his
term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then
the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President
shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for
the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President
elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as
President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be
selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President
or Vice President shall have qualified.
SECTION 4. The Congress may by law provide for the case
of the death of any of the persons from whom the House of
Representatives may choose a President whenever the right of
choice shall have devolved upon them, and for the case of the
death of any of the persons from whom the Senate may choose
a Vice President whenever the right of choice shall have
devolved upon them.
SECTION 5. Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on the 15th day
of October following the ratification of this article.
SECTION 6. 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 it submission.
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.
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 2 years
of a term to which some other person was elected President
shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.
But this Article shall not apply to any person holding the office
of President when this Article was proposed by the Congress,
and shall not prevent any person who may beholding 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 7 years
from the date of its submission to the States by the Congress.
SECTION 1. The District constituting the seat of Government
of the United States shall appoint in such manner as the
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.
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.
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 of 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 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,
determined 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.
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.
(Proposed in 1789; Ratified in 1992; Second of twelve articles comprising the bill of rights. No Law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.
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