Articles 4-7The United States

Constitution

Article 4• Federalism: relationship between state & central

government• 1) Extradition among states• 2) Equality among citizens regardless of “home”

state• 3) Freedom of movement among states• 4) State protection from invasion

Article 4: State Acts and Records

• States must honor other states’:• laws• records• court rulings

Rights of citizens

• Citizenship:• Traveling citizens entitled to same rights as

citizens that live in the state.• Extradition:• Cannot avoid punishment by fleeing to another

state • Will be brought back to original state for trial

(Governor can demand their return)

New states• Congress can add more states • Ex: Arizona, 1912, Hawaii• fun fact: Puerto Rico said No!!• No states can be made from other states

Article 5: Amending the constitution

• To propose an amendment: • 1) 2/3 vote of the House of Representatives

and the Senate (all 27 by this method) • 2) 2/3 of state legislatures call for national

convention to amend Constitution

Amending the Constitution

• To ratify a new amendment to the Constitution:

• 1) ¾ of state legislatures approve amendment • 2) ¾ of states approve amendment at state

conventions

• Why more to ratify?

Article 6: Supremacy of The National Government

• Debts:• U.S. assumes pre-Constitution debts (A of C)

• Supreme Law of the Land:• Supremacy Clause: Federal laws &

Constitution are highest laws in the land • State laws cannot conflict w/ federal

Loyalty to Constitution• Federal officials must:• -owe their loyalty & take oath to defend

Constitution

Article 7: Ratification

• 9/13 states had to approve or “ratify”

Check-up

1. Give 1 example of what states must honor of other states.2. What is it called when a Governor demands the return of someone

back to that person’s state?3. Can a new state be made from land from an already existing state?4. What is the amount of votes needed from each house of Congress

to propose and amendment?5. What is the amount of votes needed from each house of Congress

to ratify the Constitution?6. What clause states that the Constitution and Federal Laws are the

highest laws in the land?7. What do federal officials have to due to ensure they defend the

Constitution?

Proposed Amendments

• Slavery Amendment 1861: would prohibit Congress from making any laws that would make slavery illegal

• Abolishment of the Death Penalty Motioned 4 times, most recent in 1995

-Abolish the Electoral College (most recently in 2004)

Proposed Amendments• 1938: the forbidding of drunkenness in the

United States and all of its territories

• Repeal the 26th Amendment & lower the voting age from 18 to 16. Proposed 1992

• Make English the official language of the U.S. Proposed 1991

• 1971: American citizens should have the alienable right to an environment free of pollution.

Proposed Amendments

• 1893: renaming this nation the “United States of the Earth”

• 1893: abolishing the United States Army and Navy

• 1912: making marriage between races illegal

• 1914: finding divorce to be illegal

Proposed Amendments

• 1916: all acts of war should be put to a national vote. Anyone voting yes had to register as a volunteer for service in the United States Army

• 1933: an attempt to limit the personal wealth to $1 million

• 1936: an attempt to allow the American people to vote on whether or not the United States should go to war

Proposed Amendments

• Human-Life Amendment 1983: prohibit abortions

• Removal of Citizenship from Children of Illegal Immigrants 2003

• Federal Marriage Amendment: Would define marriage as a union between man & women & prohibit same-sex marriage. Proposed four times, most recently in 2008.