The amendment system of the U.S. Constitution is very important, and should be understood in order for readers to appreciate how many amendments there are.
The concept of an amendment is very old, and was once used in the British constitution. This is why so many words and phrases have been changed or added to the current Constitution. The role of an amendment is to change or add to the original document to add new policy, legislation, or insert new information.
The total number of amendments varies based on who created them. Some were created by members of Congress, others were drafted by staff members for a final vote by Congress. Regardless, there are more than enough Amendment Bills as Members of Congress introduce them!
This article will go over how many amendments there are in the United States Constitution, and what they do.
Contents:
Five
The Constitution contains five major amendments, or amendments. These are the ones that are usually discussed when the word amendment is mentioned. These are the ones that create new laws, changing the Constitution, and adding to it.
These five amendments were adopted to change things in response to specific situations in history. These include creating rights for slaves during the founding period, clarifying what constitutes a republican form of government, expanding the right to vote, adding a right to privacy, and establishing a right to an abortion.
These five amendments were adopted in response to public pressure and/or political success. Many people viewed an abortion as a basic human need and deservedly received support from both sides of politics.
Without going into too much detail, it is worth examining these five Amendments as they were adopted so you can learn some valuable things about them.
Four
The Constitution contains four major amendments that constitute the basis for constitutional government. The first was the Declaration of Independence, which declared that all people are endowed with certain inalienable rights, including the right to life, liberty, and property. The second was the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which amended the Civil Rights Act of 1956 to protect against discrimination on the basis of race and gender.
The third was the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which protected voting rights across many states. And the fourth was the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which prohibited discrimination in housing transactions.
All four amendments were adopted at once in 1789 and were called The Philadelphia Convention. They were initially proposed by George Mason, one of their original sponsors, who said they were important because they establish a system for gathering power from above and from below.
We have them now because we voted! — George Mason (@GasonBengal) February 19, 2017
These four amendments set out how much power Congress has and how it can legislate.
Nine
The Constitution contains nine amendments, all of which were intended to correct and improve on the original document. These nine amendments are called the Bill of Rights, and together they comprise the Constitution.
These nine amendments were chosen for their importance to freedom and democracy in history, as well as today. They pledge to safeguard our rights from government abuse, making them essential parts of a strong constitution.
While most people know the first three — rights against unreasonable search and seizure, protection of private property and the right to due process — few know the remaining seven.
These remaining seven include the right to a trial by jury; freedom from cruel and unusual punishment; freedom from self-incrimination; protections for people with disabilities; guarantees against political corruption; limits on voter fraud; and limits on presidential term limits.
http://www.constitutionallives.com/nine-amendments.
Eight
The U.S. Constitution is the second longest document in history, after the Egyptian Book of the Dead. It is also one of the most amended pieces of legislation in history, with over 200 amendments made to it!
While not every amendment is highly regarded and/or accepted by all parties, no piece of legislation or amendment to a piece of legislation takes this away from the fact that it’s an important piece of law.
The Constitution provides a clear framework for government and for people, allowing for freedom and justice at the same time. It was created to last a long time – nearly two centuries!
This article will go over some of the different kinds of amendments to the Constitution and how many there are.
Seven
The U.S. Constitution is the second most important part of your life, next to your family. It is the basis for most laws in the United As of this article, there are over 200 in effect, making it one of the most influential pieces of legislation in history.
With all of its wonderful provisions and amendments, you can bet that there have been changes to make things more fair or to add new provisions. Some of these changes include adding new rights and protections, re-wording portions to add more emphasis, and simply updating parts to reflect new technology and society’s needs.
This article will go through some of the different amendments that you may not know were buried deep in the Constitution, and how they may impact your daily life.
Six
The Constitution contains six amendments, or amendments, that are special. The remaining four hundreds of amendments are called general provisions for legislation.
The Constitution has six special provisions, or amendments, that are referred to as substantive provisions. These six additions to the constitution cover significant topics such as civil rights, voting rights, term limits, ballot access, and congressional term limits.
Of the six substantive provisions in the constitution, three have already been changed through other constitutions and charters. The others have not been changed except for replacement when a new one is adopted.
Eleven
The U.S. Constitution is the second most important law of our country after the Bible. It is called the Constitution for a reason, and that reason is because it defines our government and sets boundaries for it.
The Constitution provides boundaries to the government and limits to it. The government has only those powers that are specifically granted to it in the Constitution.
The power of the government can be very limited because many issues are beyond its scope of authority. However, there are times when issues need to be addressed quickly, and a law is needed to make sure people do not violate laws or boundaries set by the government.
There are several amendments to the Constitution, making it 11 additional amendments.
Twelve
The Constitution was drafted over a period of nearly two decades, beginning in 1787 and ending in it being signed into law in 1868. During this time, several amendments to the Constitution were passed, but no new sections were added.
This does not mean that the Constitution was not updated to reflect new issues and changes. It just means that the amendments did not add new power to the federal government or change the composition of the federal government, as many people think.
Many people believe that the Constitution gives the federal government unlimited power, but it does not because of how many times amendments have been made. There are 12 original provisions of power in the Federal Government alone, and 11 more in state and local governments combined.
You can become more aware of these 12 pieces of power by reading The Tenth Amendment Today for more information.