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Outline of the U.S. Constitution
Preamble: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and
secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution
for the United States of America.
Article I:
Legislative branch
Section 1 Congress
Section 2 House of Representatives
Section 3Senate
Section 4Elections and meetings
Section 5 Legislative proceedings
Section 6 Compensation, immunities,
and disabilities of members
Section 7Revenue bills, presidential veto
Section 8 Powers of Congress
Section 9 Powers denied to Congress
Section 10 Powers denied to the states
Article III: Judicial branch
Section 1 Courts, terms of office
Section 2 Jurisdiction
Section 3Treason
Article II: Executive branch
Section 1 President: term, election,
qualifications, compensation,
oath of office
Section 2 President’s powers and duties
Section 3 President’s powers and duties
Section 4Impeachment
Article V: Provisions for amendment
Article IV: Relations among states
Section 1Full faith and credit
Section 2 Privileges and immunities of
citizens
Section 3New states, territories
Section 4 Protection afforded to states
by the nation
Article VI: Public debts, supremacy of
national law, oaths
Clause 1 Validity of debts
Clause 2Supremacy of national law
Clause 3Oaths of office
Article VII: Ratification of the Constitution
Bill of Rights: Protection of individual rights
Amendments: Formal changes to the Constitution
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The United States Constitution 1
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Completed Constitutional Law 1 Matrix
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Article
Section
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II
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Yes
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6 years
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the House of
Representatives
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Congress
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the president,
with approval
of the Senate
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Answer to
Question
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Constitutional Provision
with Key Words Underlined
“No Person shall be a Representative who shall
not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years.”
“The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State . . . for six
Years.”
“All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the
House of Representatives.”
“The Congress shall have power . . . to declare
War.”
“He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and
Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties.”
the Senate
“He shall nominate, and by and with the Advice
and
Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors.”
the president
“He shall nominate, and by and with the Advice
and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint . . .
Judges of the supreme Court.”
“. . . attained to the Age of thirty five Years.”
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II
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35 years old
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II
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four years
2 and 3
the House of
Representatives
can impeach; the
Senate tries the
impeachment
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“He shall hold his Office during the Term of four
Years.”
“The House of Representatives . . . shall have sole
Power of Impeachment.”
“The Senate shall have sole Power to try all Impeachments.”
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Article
m a s t e r Section
I
I
III
III
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Constitutional Provision
with Key Words Underlined
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Congress
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president of
the Senate
“The Vice President of the United States shall be
President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote,
unless they be equally divided.”
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1
1
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federal courts
“The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases . . .
arising under this Constitution . . . to Controversies
between two or more States.”
for life
“The judges, Both of the supreme and inferior
Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour.”
the states
the president
the congressional law
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V
I
Answer to
Question
“The Congress shall have Power . . . To regulate
Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the
several States.”
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III
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no
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the president
“Each State shall appoint . . . a Number of Electors.”
“The President shall be Commander in Chief of the
Army and Navy of the United States.”
“This Constitution, and the Laws of the United
States . . . shall be the supreme Law of the Land.”
“Treason against the United States, shall consist
only in levying War against them, or in adhering to
their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.”
“The Congress, whenever two-thirds of both
Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose
Amendments to this Constitution.”
“Every bill which shall have passed the House of
Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it becomes a Law, be presented to the President of the
United States; If he approve, he shall sign it, but if
not he shall return it.”
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Guiding Principles of the Constitution
The limited government envisioned in the Constitution is based upon six guiding principles.
Popular Sovereignty
Because the government is created by and for the people, power
resides not with the government or its leaders but with the people.
In a representative democracy, the people vote to elect leaders to
represent their interests.
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Rule of Law
The people and their government must abide by a set of laws,
rather than by arbitrary rules set down by any individual or group.
The Constitution sets limits to governmental power and establishes
how leaders who overstep their power can be removed.
Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances
Powers and responsibilities are divided among three government
branches to prevent any one person or group from having too
much power. A system of checks and balances allows each branch
to monitor and check the power of the others to prevent any abuse
of government power.
Federalism
Power is divided between the central government and the individual
state and local governments.
Independent Judiciary
The judicial branch is established as an independent entity, free of
pressures and influences from the other two branches. The Supreme
Court is the highest authority in the federal court system.
Individual Rights
Individual rights and liberties are protected against government
encroachment.
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Relevant Excerpt
from the Constitution
Article IV, Section 2, Clause 1:
Privileges and immunities.
The Citizens of each State shall be
entitled to all privileges and immunities
of Citizens in the Several States.
Principle or
Principles
Exemplified
Individual
rights
Rule of law
Explanation of How These
Principles Are Exemplified
States cannot discriminate against
citizens of other states. This limits the
power of state governments and guarantees the rights of individuals.
Separation
of powers
and checks
and balances
No treaty signed by the president can
go into effect unless two-thirds of the
Senate approves it. This acts as a check
on the president’s power. The president’s nominees for judges, ambassadors, and other offices must also be
confirmed by the Senate.
Article I, Section 7, Clause 2: The veto.
Every Bill which shall have passed the
House of Representatives and the Senate,
shall, before it become a Law, be presented
to the President of the United States; If he
approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall
return it.
Separation
of powers
and checks
and balances
The power of Congress to make laws
is checked by the president, who can
approve or veto them.
Tenth Amendment: Powers reserved to
the states. The powers not delegated to
the United States by the Constitution . . .
are reserved to the States respectively, or
to the people.
Federalism
Any powers not specifically given to the
federal government or denied to the
states are reserved for the states and
thus the people.
Article I, Section 2, Clause 1: Direct election of the House of Representatives.
The House of Representatives shall be
composed of Members chosen every
second Year by the People of the several
States, and the Electors in each State
shall have the Qualifications requisite for
Electors of the most numerous Branch of
the State Legislature.
Popular
sovereignty
Article II, Section 2, Clause 2: The Senate checks and balances the president’s
power to make treaties and appointments to office. He [the president] shall
have Power, by and with the Advice and
Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties,
provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by
and with the Advice and Consent of the
Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other
public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of
the supreme Court, and all other Officers
of the United States.
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Individual
rights
Federalism
Members of the House of Representatives are elected by the people every
two years. The states set the qualifications for voting.
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Relevant Excerpt
from the Constitution
Principle or
Principles
Exemplified
Explanation of How These
Principles Are Exemplified
Federalism
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Article I, Section 8, Clause 3: Interstate
Commerce Clause. Congress has the
power to regulate Commerce with foreign
Nations, and among the several States,
and with the Indian Tribes.
The power to regulate interstate commerce is given to the federal government. This is an example of a delegated
power.
Individual
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Preamble. We the People of the United
States, in Order to form a more perfect
Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common
defence, promote the general Welfare,
and secure the Blessings of Liberty to
ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and
establish this Constitution for the United
States of America.
The opening words of the Constitution
state that the Constitution is established by the people to protect the
rights and well-being of all citizens.
These words also suggest that the Constitution is the basis of law.
Rule of law
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Article VI, Section 2: Supremacy Clause.
This Constitution, and the Laws of the
United States which shall be made in
Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made,
or which shall be made, under the Au­
thority of the United States, shall be the
supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges
in every State shall be bound thereby, any
Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any
State to the Contrary notwithstanding.
Federalism
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Article IV, Section 4: Republican form of
government and protection against invasion. The United States shall guarantee
to every State in this Union a Republican
Form of Government, and shall protect
each of them against Invasion; and on
Application of the Legislature, or of the
Executive (when the Legislature cannot be
convened), against domestic violence.
Checks and
balances
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Article III, Section 1: Supreme Court,
lower courts, judges serve for life or good
behavior. The judicial Power of the United
States, shall be vested in one supreme
Court, and in such inferior Courts as the
Congress may from time to time ordain
and establish. The Judges, both of the
supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold
their Offices during good Behavior, and
shall, at stated Times, receive for their
Services a Compensation, which shall
not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.
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Rule of law
Federalism
Individual
rights
Popular
sovereignty
Independent
judiciary
The Supremacy Clause establishes the
Constitution as the highest authority in
the country, to which all leaders must
adhere. It also establishes the authority
of federal law over state law.
This provision guarantees representative government for the states, as well
as federal protection from invasion.
Implied within that guarantee are the
protection of rights and liberties and
rule by the people.
Supreme Court justices hold their terms
for life (subject to good behavior).
Their pay cannot be reduced while they
serve. This creates a judiciary less likely
to be influenced by the other branches
of government—an additional check.
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