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the Constitution was superseded by the 12th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.
