| AMENDMENT XI Passed by
Congress March 4, 1794. Ratified February 7, 1795.
Note: Article III, section 2, of the
Constitution was modified by amendment 11.
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.
AMENDMENT XII
Passed by Congress December 9, 1803. Ratified June
15, 1804.
Note: A portion of Article II, section 1 of the
Constitution was superseded by the 12th amendment.
The Electors shall meet in their respective states and
vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one 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 shall then be counted; -- The
person having the greatest number of votes for President,
shall be the President, 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 as 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-thirds 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 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 be 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-thirds 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 States.
*Superseded by section 3 of the 20th amendment.
AMENDMENT XIII
Passed by Congress January 31, 1865. Ratified
December 6, 1865.
Note: A portion of Article IV, section 2, of
the Constitution was superseded by the 13th amendment.
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.
AMENDMENT XIV
Passed by Congress June 13, 1866. Ratified July 9,
1868.
Note: Article I, section 2, of the Constitution
was modified by section 2 of the 14th amendment.
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
State 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 Congress, or as an officer of the
United States, or 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 by 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 void.
Section 5.
The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by
appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
*Changed by section 1 of the 26th amendment.
AMENDMENT XV
Passed by Congress February 26, 1869. Ratified
February 3, 1870.
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 the power to enforce this article
by appropriate legislation.
AMENDMENT XVI
Passed by Congress July 2, 1909. Ratified February
3, 1913.
Note: Article I, section 9, of the Constitution
was modified by amendment 16.
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.
AMENDMENT XVII
Passed by Congress May 13, 1912. Ratified April 8,
1913.
Note: Article I, section 3, of the Constitution
was modified by the 17th amendment.
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 of the most
numerous branch of the State legislatures.
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.
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.
AMENDMENT XVIII
Passed by Congress December 18, 1917. Ratified
January 16, 1919. Repealed by amendment 21.
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.
AMENDMENT XIX
Passed by Congress June 4, 1919. Ratified August
18, 1920.
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.
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by
appropriate legislation.
AMENDMENT XX
Passed by Congress March 2, 1932. Ratified January
23, 1933.
Note: Article I, section 4, of the Constitution
was modified by section 2 of this amendment. In addition,
a portion of the 12th amendment was superseded by section
3.
Section 1.
The terms of the President and the Vice President shall
end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of
Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d 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 3d 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 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 its submission.
AMENDMENT XXI
Passed by Congress February 20, 1933. Ratified
December 5, 1933.
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.
AMENDMENT XXII
Passed by Congress March 21, 1947. Ratified
February 27, 1951.
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 two years
of a term to which some other person was elected
President shall be elected to the office of President
more than once. But this Article shall not apply to any
person holding the office of President when this Article
was proposed by Congress, and shall not prevent any
person who may be holding 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 seven years from the date of its submission to the
States by the Congress.
AMENDMENT XXIII
Passed by Congress June 16, 1960. Ratified March
29, 1961.
Section 1.
The District constituting the seat of Government of the
United States shall appoint in such manner as 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.
AMENDMENT XXIV
Passed by Congress August 27, 1962. Ratified
January 23, 1964.
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 poll tax or other tax.
Section 2.
The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by
appropriate legislation.
AMENDMENT XXV
Passed by Congress July 6, 1965. Ratified February
10, 1967.
Note: Article II, section 1, of the
Constitution was affected by the 25th amendment.
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 as
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 the 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,
determines 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.
AMENDMENT XXVI
Passed by Congress March 23, 1971. Ratified July 1,
1971.
Note: Amendment 14, section 2, of the
Constitution was modified by section 1 of the 26th
amendment.
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.
AMENDMENT XXVII
Originally proposed Sept. 25, 1789. Ratified May 7,
1992.
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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