Amendment XXVII: Congressional Compensation

No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of representatives shall have intervened.

Yet another house keeping amendment, this amendment was actually written by James Madison in the late 18th century. However, as it was only ratified by a handful of states, it did not become part of the Constitution. It was formally accepted and ratified and now sits last in line of the amendments of the conversation.

Congressmen now have better checks and balances upon themselves: now they cannot pass laws to their own personal benefit. Is this a good thing, of course! If you don't agree (or are a congressman) comment below and tell me why not.

It took over 200 years for James Madison's amendment to finally be accepted, but here we are now! What does this say about the state of the Union?

Click here, for more about this amendment.

Amendment XXVI: Suffrage for the Young'uns

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.

This amendment quantified the age minimum for voters, whereas before it was a minimum of 21 years old. Starting from Vietnam War-era young men and women, the idea that if one is old enough to die for their country they should be old enough to have a say in how the country is run.

The age of protests brought the public eye to the new voting age reformers.

This young man, old enough to fight in the wars of his country, had no say as to the governance of his country. Was this right? Are 18 year olds mature enough to vote? Can the young persons vote offer additional insight to how our country should be run? Comment below on your opinion!

For more information about this amendment, click here.

Amendment XXV: A Complicated Successionary Rule

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.

A very humorous and in-depth view of presidential succession put to song!

Air Force One, the presidential plane, never holds the president and vice-president, so as to prevent any disasters from having too much of an effect on the governance of the country.

For more information about this amendment, click here.

Amendment XXIV: Cash, Then You Can Vote

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.

Yet another standardization of the voting method by Congress, this amendment protects the right to vote without the burden of a poll tax or any other method of payment to vote. This protects the right in its purest form and does not discriminate against people without the financial means to support a poll tax. This is a great amendment (I believe), but if you disagree please comment below and let me know why!

Before this amendment, some people just did not vote in elections because of the cost. What would happen if we instituted a poll tax now? What ways are trying to be instituted in the country currently? (Hint: check out Missouri's bill to require a state recognized ID to vote... a $25 fee if you don't have a driver's licence.)

A poll tax: is it just in regards to money? Or are there other costly ways in which voting can "tax" its citizens?

For more information about this amendment, click here.

Amendment XXIII: Taxation Without Representation

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.

This amendment is another that really just standardized the way in which our federal government conducted itself. Namely, it allowed the population of the District of Columbia (the District constituting the seat of Government of the United States) to vote and participate in presidential and other such elections.

A constitutional right for US citizens to vote was not available to citizens in D.C.

A current explanation for this amendment.

For more information about this amendment, click here.

Amendment XXII: A Regulation Fit for FDR

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.

Despite never before being put into official law, most presidents had been restricted (self-imposed or by way of election) to only two years in office anyway. This was directly related to George Washington's decision to only serve for two terms so as to prevent any notion of kingly rule. However, seeing as this was never officially the case, there were many presidents that served for more than two terms: most notably if Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR served for a total of four terms (that's 16 years for you slow math people). This was unprecedented and the citizenry realized there had to be a change.

The idea behind term limits is that there needs to not be a monopoly on a presidency. What do you think? Should there be term limits? What if there are changes to the limits, would that be good or bad for us?

We have presidential term limits, but what about congress? Would these be a good idea? Why not? Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Check out a good summary of this amendment here.

Amendment XXI: Be Gone Prohibition

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.

The first direct repeal of any amendment, this amendment gave control of alcohol laws to each State. A slight variation of previous amendments that have been increasing national government power, this is an increase in state government (very similar to the Bill of Rights). Towards the end of the Prohibition era, people began to realize the toll it was taking on the country. The crime rate had skyrocketed as bootleggers and the like were taking advantage of supply and demand opportunities, a national revenue had been eliminated as well as the taxes that came along with it, and too many people were participating in illegal activities now that alcohol was banned. So the solution was to repeal the amendment and let the states decide whether to ban it or not, overall a very smart move.

People were overjoyed that they could finally and legally partake in their mood-altering substance of choice.

A post-Prohibition newsreel shows the boom of industry following this repeal.

For more information about this amendment, click here.

Amendment XX: Housekeeping

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.

This amendment, mainly a housekeeping change to the constitution, specifically details Presidential as well as Legislative protocols. Nothing too special here, but check it out anyway! It's a vital part of our Constitution nonetheless.

Sometimes, it's just a countdown until the presidential term is up.

There have been a few, very unfortunate times where the VP must take over the position of POTUS.

For more information about this amendment, click here.

Amendment XIX: Vivacious Voters

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.

The women: they finally got here. After years of watching the men control the vote, women are given the right to play a part in the shaping of their country. From the beginnings of suffrage movements to current day women's rights advocates (feminists), women have been fighting for what they see as rights for many years now. From the vote to equal wages, as well as fighting social ideas, women have been working hard lately.

A Gaga parody to the tune of women's suffrage. What other things are women fighting for today? Should they have them? Is it getting to the point of overdoing it? Comment below!

It took 50 years for women to be given the vote after the 15th amendment was passed. Why was this the case? What were the factors in keeping the vote from women? What good has now come of this today?

To learn more about this amendment, click here.

Amendment XVIII: Prohibition Promotion

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.

This amendment effectively banned any and all alcohol sales within the United States (and its territories). A major national movement that sought an end to what they saw as a most vile substance, Prohibitionists pushed and succeeded in passing this amendment, which turned out to merely be a lesson in the infringement of state's and citizen's rights. What do you think? Was this amendment good or not? Do you think that some reformed portion of this ban should be re-instituted? Tell me about it in the comments below!

A fantastic summary of the age of Prohibition, this video shows both the beginning and end of this movement.

Prohibition, far from decreasing criminal activity began a huge surge in it. As seen here by criminal Al Capone, the mobsters of the era grew their syndicates and increased their criminal activities.

For more information about this amendment, check this website out.

Amendment XVII: Equal Representation for All

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.

Before this amendment, direct election of Senators by the States was not a necessary thing. In fact, it was the legislature of the States that were able to choose the Senators. With this amendment, a more republic-based form of government was instituted and enacted. Was this a good thing? What problems did this solve on a representation level? What are some of the problems that this may have caused? Comment below!

This video, by CGP Grey, explains a different and more representational form of government. Would this work well or not? What are it's pros and cons?

Yet another alternative voting method! What do you like about this one? Is it better or worse than our current method? What about compared to the method above?

To learn more about this amendment, click here.

Amendment XVI: A Tax! A Tax for Everyone!

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.

This amendment, in essence, took away some of the State's rights where revenue was considered. After its enumeration, the amendment allowed for the federal government (through Congress) to levy taxes as they wished, with no discretionary oversight whatsoever. What do you think about this power the government can exercise over its citizens? What good things could this bring and what bad things could this open the door for? Comment below!

What does this striking growth in our tax code say about our government? Is this really necessary even?

In this system brought by the 16th Amendment, what representation in the federal gov't do we have?

For more history about this amendment, click here.