Pocket Constitution: The Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, and Amendments to the Constitution

52 Pages·4.333 MB·English

Pocket Constitution
The Declaration of
Independence
The Constitution of
the United States
The Bill of Rights
Amendments
XI–XXVII
Legislative Process Flowchart
Legislationmaybeginineitherchamber.
Similarproposalsareoftenintroducedinbothchambers.
Measureintroduced Measureintroduced
intheHouse intheSenate
Measurereferredto Measurereferredto
committee,whichholds committee,whichholds
hearingsandreports hearingsandreports
measuretotheHouse measuretotheSenate
OR
Forimportant
measures,specialrule
reportedbytheRules
Committeeandadopted
bytheHouse
Leadershipschedules Leadershipschedules
measureforfloor measureforfloor
consideration consideration
Housedebatesand Senatedebatesand
canamendmeasure canamendmeasure
Housepassesmeasure Senatepassesmeasure
MeasuresmustpassboththeHouseandtheSenate
inidenticalformbeforebeingpresentedtothePresident.
Onechamber Eachchamberappoints Houseand
agreesto Memberstoaconference Senateexchange
theother OR committee,whichreconciles OR amendmentsto
chamber’s differencesandagreesto billandreach
version aconferencereport agreement
Houseapprovesconferencereport Senateapprovesconferencereport
LegislationpresentedtothePresident.
President IfPresidentdoesnot President
signs signmeasureintolaw vetoes
measure within10days measure
Measure IfCongressis IfCongressis Measuredoes
becomeslaw insession, notinsession, notbecomelaw,
measure measure unless
becomeslaw doesnot bothchambers
becomelaw overridevetoby
(“pocketveto”) 2/3majority
Sources:U.S.Senate;U.S.HouseofRepresentatives;andtheCongressionalDeskbook
byMichaelKoempelandJudySchneider.Copyright©2009byTheCapitol.Net,Inc.
AllRightsReserved.202-678-1600www.TheCapitol.Net
Pocket Constitution
The Declaration
of Independence 1
........
The Constitution
of the United States 9
.....
The Bill of Rights 29
.......
Amendments
XI–XXVII 33
..................
Copyright©2009byTheCapitol.Net
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ISBN:978-1-58733-178-7
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The Declaration
of Independence
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
TheunanimousDeclarationofthe
thirteenunitedStatesofAmerica,
WhenintheCourseofhumanevents,itbecomes
necessaryforonepeopletodissolvethepolitical
bandswhichhaveconnectedthemwithanother,
andtoassumeamongthepowersoftheearth,the
separateandequalstationtowhichtheLawsof
NatureandofNature’sGodentitlethem,adecent
respecttotheopinionsofmankindrequiresthat
theyshoulddeclarethecauseswhichimpelthem
totheseparation.
Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident,thatallmen
arecreatedequal,thattheyareendowedbytheir
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that
amongtheseareLife,Libertyandthepursuitof
Happiness.—Thattosecuretheserights,Govern-
mentsareinstitutedamongMen,derivingtheirjust
powersfromtheconsentofthegoverned,—That
wheneveranyFormofGovernmentbecomesde-
structiveoftheseends,itistheRightofthePeople
toalterortoabolishit,andtoinstitutenewGov-
ernment,layingitsfoundationonsuchprinciples
andorganizingitspowersinsuchform,astothem
shallseemmostlikelytoeffecttheirSafetyand
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Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that
Governments long established should not be
changed for light and transient causes; and ac-
cordinglyallexperiencehathshewn,thatmankind
aremoredisposedtosuffer,whileevilsaresuffer-
able, than to right themselves by abolishing the
formstowhichtheyareaccustomed.Butwhena
longtrainofabusesandusurpations,pursuingin-
variablythesameObjectevincesadesigntore-
ducethemunderabsoluteDespotism,itistheir
right, it is their duty, to throw off such Govern-
ment,andtoprovidenewGuardsfortheirfuture
security.—Suchhasbeenthepatientsufferanceof
these Colonies; and such is now the necessity
whichconstrainsthemtoaltertheirformerSys-
temsofGovernment.Thehistoryofthepresent
KingofGreatBritainisahistoryofrepeatedin-
juriesandusurpations,allhavingindirectobject
the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over
theseStates.Toprovethis,letFactsbesubmitted
toacandidworld.
HehasrefusedhisAssenttoLaws,themost
wholesomeandnecessaryforthepublic
good.
HehasforbiddenhisGovernorstopass
Lawsofimmediateandpressingimportance,
unlesssuspendedintheiroperationtillhis
Assentshouldbeobtained;andwhenso
suspended,hehasutterlyneglectedto
attendtothem.
HehasrefusedtopassotherLawsforthe
accommodationoflargedistrictsofpeople,
unlessthosepeoplewouldrelinquishthe
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rightofRepresentationintheLegislature,
arightinestimabletothemandformidable
totyrantsonly.
Hehascalledtogetherlegislativebodiesat
placesunusual,uncomfortable,anddistant
fromthedepositoryoftheirpublicRecords,
forthesolepurposeoffatiguingtheminto
compliancewithhismeasures.
HehasdissolvedRepresentativeHouses
repeatedly,foropposingwithmanlyfirmness
hisinvasionsontherightsofthepeople.
Hehasrefusedforalongtime,aftersuch
dissolutions,tocauseotherstobeelected;
wherebytheLegislativepowers,incapable
ofAnnihilation,havereturnedtothe
Peopleatlargefortheirexercise;the
Stateremaininginthemeantimeexposed
toallthedangersofinvasionfromwithout,
andconvulsionswithin.
Hehasendeavouredtopreventthe
populationoftheseStates;forthatpurpose
obstructingtheLawsforNaturalization
ofForeigners;refusingtopassothers
toencouragetheirmigrationshither,
andraisingtheconditionsofnew
AppropriationsofLands.
HehasobstructedtheAdministrationof
Justice,byrefusinghisAssenttoLawsfor
establishingJudiciarypowers.
HehasmadeJudgesdependentonhisWill
alone,forthetenureoftheiroffices,and
theamountandpaymentoftheirsalaries.
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HehaserectedamultitudeofNewOffices,
andsenthitherswarmsofOfficerstoharrass
ourpeople,andeatouttheirsubstance.
Hehaskeptamongus,intimesofpeace,
StandingArmieswithouttheConsentof
ourlegislatures.
HehasaffectedtorendertheMilitary
independentofandsuperiortotheCivil
power.
Hehascombinedwithotherstosubjectus
toajurisdictionforeigntoourconstitution,
andunacknowledgedbyourlaws;givinghis
AssenttotheirActsofpretendedLegislation:
ForQuarteringlargebodiesofarmedtroops
amongus:
Forprotectingthem,byamockTrial,from
punishmentforanyMurderswhichthey
shouldcommitontheInhabitantsofthese
States:
ForcuttingoffourTradewithallparts
oftheworld:
ForimposingTaxesonuswithoutour
Consent:
Fordeprivingusinmanycases,ofthe
benefitsofTrialbyJury:
FortransportingusbeyondSeastobe
triedforpretendedoffences
ForabolishingthefreeSystemof
EnglishLawsinaneighbouringProvince,
establishingthereinanArbitrarygovernment,
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andenlargingitsBoundariessoastorender
itatonceanexampleandfitinstrumentfor
introducingthesameabsoluteruleintothese
Colonies:
FortakingawayourCharters,abolishing
ourmostvaluableLaws,andaltering
fundamentallytheFormsofour
Governments:
ForsuspendingourownLegislatures,and
declaringthemselvesinvestedwithpower
tolegislateforusinallcaseswhatsoever.
HehasabdicatedGovernmenthere,by
declaringusoutofhisProtectionand
wagingWaragainstus.
Hehasplunderedourseas,ravagedour
Coasts,burntourtowns,anddestroyed
thelivesofourpeople.
HeisatthistimetransportinglargeArmies
offoreignMercenariestocompleatthe
worksofdeath,desolationandtyranny,
alreadybegunwithcircumstancesof
Cruelty&perfidyscarcelyparalleledin
themostbarbarousages,andtotally
unworthytheHeadofacivilizednation.
HehasconstrainedourfellowCitizens
takenCaptiveonthehighSeastobear
ArmsagainsttheirCountry,tobecomethe
executionersoftheirfriendsandBrethren,
ortofallthemselvesbytheirHands.
Hehasexciteddomesticinsurrections
amongstus,andhasendeavouredto
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bringontheinhabitantsofourfrontiers,the
mercilessIndianSavages,whoseknownrule
ofwarfare,isanundistinguisheddestruction
ofallages,sexesandconditions.
IneverystageoftheseOppressionsWehavePeti-
tionedforRedressinthemosthumbleterms:Our
repeatedPetitionshavebeenansweredonlybyre-
peated injury. A Prince whose character is thus
markedbyeveryactwhichmaydefineaTyrant,is
unfittobetherulerofafreepeople.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our
Brittishbrethren.Wehavewarnedthemfromtime
totimeofattemptsbytheirlegislaturetoextend
anunwarrantablejurisdictionoverus.Wehavere-
mindedthemofthecircumstancesofouremigra-
tion and settlement here. We have appealed to
theirnativejusticeandmagnanimity,andwehave
conjuredthembythetiesofourcommonkindred
to disavow these usurpations, which, would in-
evitablyinterruptourconnectionsandcorrespon-
dence.Theytoohavebeendeaftothevoiceofjus-
tice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore,
acquiesceinthenecessity,whichdenouncesour
Separation,andholdthem,asweholdtherestof
mankind,EnemiesinWar,inPeaceFriends.
We,therefore,theRepresentativesoftheunited
States ofAmerica, inGeneralCongress, Assem-
bled,appealingtotheSupremeJudgeoftheworld
fortherectitudeofourintentions,do,intheName,
and by Authority of the good People of these
Colonies,solemnlypublishanddeclare,Thatthese
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