Changing the Constitution

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Changing the Constitution

• Chapter 8-3

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(No Transcript)
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Questions

• What does the term mean to amend?
• Why didnt the Continental Congress not include
  the rights of all people into the Constitution in
  1787?

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Overview

• Describe how to amend the Constitution.
• Name the rights that the Bill of Rights protect.
• Explain how each later amendments expanded
  democratic rights.

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Constitutional Amendments

• Discuss the power of the Presidency
• Discuss the following people and what position
  they fill (Executive, Legislature, Judicial)

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Do you think they have a right to protest?
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Read
PLEASE READ PAGES 259-261
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Process on how to Amend

• Article V Outline two ways to propose a change.
• 2/3 of the House and Senate agree
• Or National Convention
• Amendments are ratified (two ways)
• ¾ of state legislature agree
• Special convention to approve

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Working together Successful Amendments
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Bill of Rights

• The Bill of Rights was ratified Dec 15, 1791
• Protects Individual Rights
• Protects against Abuse of Power
• Protects the Rights of the Accused
• Amendments 9 and 10

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Bill of Rights

• First ten amendments amend to the Constitution
• First Amendment Freedom of religion, speech and
  press
• Limits, cant hurt someone, false statement
• 2d Amendment Right to bear arms
• 3rd Amendment No troops in home

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Bill of Rights Continued

• 4th Amendment Unlawful search/seizure
• 5th Amendment Self incrimination
• 6th Amendment Fair and speedy trial
• 7th Amendment Jury in civil case
• 8th Amendment Cruel and unusual punishment
• 9th Amendment rights not listed
• 10th Amendment State rights

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Really important amendments to remember

• 13th, 14th and 15th Free citizens vote
• 13th Abolish Slavery
• 14thGuaranteed citizenship to former slaves
• 15th Guaranteed voting rights for African
  Americans
• 19th Gave women right to vote
• 26th Lowered minimum voting age to 18

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Question

• Why do you think that the Bill of Rights
  carefully spells out the rights of people
  accused?
• Answer Prove that we were really guilty of the
  crime.
• Why do you think that the Bill of Rights is a
  living document?
• Answer The document changes with the times.

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Round 2

• Is Income Tax a Bill of Rights?
• False
• The Bill of Rights consists of how many
  amendments?
• 10
• Which of these freedoms is not guaranteed by the
  First Amendment?
• False statements or statements that will cause
  injury like calling out a false alarm fire

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Round 3

• What part of the Constitution abolishes slavery?
• 13th Amendment
• Constitutional amendments can be proposed by
• Congress or a national convention
• How did the 26th amendment change the legal
  voting age?
• Lowered the age from 21 to 18 years old

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Round 4

• What fraction of all state legislatures had to
  ratify the Bill of Rights before it became law.
• 3/4th
• Bill of Rights guarantee freedoms of
• Freedom of Speech, protection against abusive
  power, freedom of religion, right to bear arms,
  right to trial by jury

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Review

• Today we have discussed how the Constitution was
  amended
• We discussed the Bill of Rights and the
  amendments to the Constitution
• We discussed how later amendments protected our
  freedoms.