The Constitution of the United States
Signed September 17, 1787 | Ratified June 21, 1788
Preamble
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, 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
Section 1
All legislative Powers herein 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
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.
No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five 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.
Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative.
When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.
The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.
Section 3 - The Senate
The Senate of the United 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.
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 one third may be chosen every second Year.
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.
The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.
The Senate shall chuse their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the United States.
The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that 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 the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.
Section 8 - Powers of Congress
The Congress shall have Power:
- To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises
- To borrow Money on the credit of the United States
- To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States
- To establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization
- To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof
- To establish Post Offices and post Roads
- To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts
- To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court
- To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal
- To raise and support Armies
- To provide and maintain a Navy
- To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces
- To provide for calling forth the Militia
- To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers
Article II - The Executive Branch
Section 1 - The 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 Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows:
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.
No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.
Section 2 - Powers of the President
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 shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States.
Article III - The Judicial Branch
Section 1 - Federal Courts
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 during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services, a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.
Section 2 - Jurisdiction
The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United States, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority.
Amendments to the Constitution
The Constitution has been amended 27 times since its ratification in 1788. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791.
View the Bill of Rights (Amendments 1-10)
Amendments 11-27
- 11th Amendment (1795) - Judicial limits
- 12th Amendment (1804) - Electoral College procedures
- 13th Amendment (1865) - Abolished slavery
- 14th Amendment (1868) - Citizenship and equal protection
- 15th Amendment (1870) - Voting rights regardless of race
- 16th Amendment (1913) - Federal income tax
- 17th Amendment (1913) - Direct election of Senators
- 18th Amendment (1919) - Prohibition
- 19th Amendment (1920) - Women's suffrage
- 20th Amendment (1933) - Presidential term and succession
- 21st Amendment (1933) - Repeal of Prohibition
- 22nd Amendment (1951) - Presidential term limits
- 23rd Amendment (1961) - D.C. electoral votes
- 24th Amendment (1964) - Poll tax ban
- 25th Amendment (1967) - Presidential succession
- 26th Amendment (1971) - Voting age lowered to 18
- 27th Amendment (1992) - Congressional compensation