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.

Amendment XV: Is Voting Privilege or Right?

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.

This amendment, the third installment of President Lincoln's New Birth of Freedom, gave citizens the right to vote. Previously only landowners could vote, which means essentially only white males could vote. The vote was seen as being needed to be given to the newly freed slaves so that they become complete citizens. There was a few separate camps on how to accomplish this: one major one was advocating the allocation of land to the freed slaves. This presented a problem because it brought up the question, "Where is this land going to come from?". The answer was primarily Southern plantation owners and that did not please the South, therefore this current solution was promoted. Instead of requiring them to have land (and therefore more influence) the vote was simply given to any citizen. What do you think about this? Was there a better way to go about this that Congress did not see? What about just giving them land and hence the vote, where would that leave us today? Comment below!

Now that black men (and all men) have the right to vote, what are some policies that would change with the huge influx of votes? How would politicians campaign and what would the separate groups be focused on?

This video addresses some of the other things going on with the 15th amendment, with a good soundtrack. It also shows that there is still work that is being done to continue the progress made by this amendment.

If you want to learn more about this amendment, click here.

Amendment XIV: Citizenship for the Slaves

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.

Finally! An amendment that furthers the accomplishment of freeing the slaves. Before this, freed slaves were not considered citizens and neither were their children. This obviously caused a lot of problems for the black American population at this point and something needed to be done. This amendment, in broad sweeping strokes gave citizenship to these people as well as confronting the problem that this would bring about regarding the representation of all these brand new citizens. I think that anyone reading this can agree that this amendment was a good idea, but if you're an outlier then please let me know what your reasoning is for your dissenting opinion.

So with this particular sub-portion of the amendment, can you think of any current day happenings that are applicable to this? Perhaps the issue of ABORTION? What rights to life does an unborn child have and how are we abridging those rights today? Tell me about your pro-life or pro-choice arguments below!

This video, albeit rather lengthy, gives a good summary to the amendment (no I didn't watch it all).

For even more information about this amendment, click here.