CHAPTER 5:

THE U.S. CONSTITUTION

I. CONSTITUTION

1. What are the main purposes (or principles) of the US Constitution?

2. How many parts of the US Constitution? What are they?

3. Among the parts of the US Constitution, which one is specific/ flexible? Why?
I. CONSTITUTION

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT CONSTITUTION OF THE U.S.

- The constitution of the U.S., ratified on June 21, 1788, and taken
effect on March 4, 1789, is the oldest written constitution still in use.
It is the system of fundamental laws of the U.S.
- There are 3 main principles from the basis of the Constitution:
è It defines distinct powers for the Congress, the president, and the
federal courts
è It protects people living in the U.S. from unreasonable actions by
the national government or any state government.
è It spells out freedoms and liberties for U.S. citizens.
I. CONSTITUTION

STRUCTURE OF THE
CONSTITUTION
I. CONSTITUTION

Preamble

A clause at the beginning of a

constitution or statute
explaining the reasons for its
enactment and the objectives
it seeks to attain
I. CONSTITUTION
Trải qua mấy nghìn năm lịch sử, Nhân dân Việt Nam lao động cần cù, sáng tạo, đấu tranh anh dũng
để dựng nước và giữ nước, đã hun đúc nên truyền thống yêu nước, đoàn kết, nhân nghĩa, kiên
cường, bất khuất và xây dựng nên nền văn hiến Việt Nam.

Từ năm 1930, dưới sự lãnh đạo của Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam do Chủ tịch Hồ Chí Minh sáng lập và
rèn luyện, Nhân dân ta tiến hành cuộc đấu tranh lâu dài, đầy gian khổ, hy sinh vì độc lập, tự do của
dân tộc, vì hạnh phúc của Nhân dân. Cách mạng tháng Tám thành công, ngày 2 tháng 9 năm 1945,
Chủ tịch Hồ Chí Minh đọc Tuyên ngôn độc lập, khai sinh ra nước Việt Nam dân chủ cộng hòa, nay
là Cộng hòa xã hội chủ nghĩa Việt Nam. Bằng ý chí và sức mạnh của toàn dân tộc, được sự giúp
đỡ của bạn bè trên thế giới, Nhân dân ta đã giành chiến thắng vĩ đại trong các cuộc đấu tranh giải
phóng dân tộc, thống nhất đất nước, bảo vệ Tổ quốc và làm nghĩa vụ quốc tế, đạt được những
thành tựu to lớn, có ý nghĩa lịch sử trong công cuộc đổi mới, đưa đất nước đi lên chủ nghĩa xã hội.

Thể chế hóa Cương lĩnh xây dựng đất nước trong thời kỳ quá độ lên chủ nghĩa xã hội, kế thừa
Hiến pháp năm 1946, Hiến pháp năm 1959, Hiến pháp năm 1980 và Hiến pháp năm 1992, Nhân dân
Việt Nam xây dựng, thi hành và bảo vệ Hiến pháp này vì mục tiêu dân giàu, nước mạnh, dân chủ,
công bằng, văn minh.
I. CONSTITUTION
Articles (Documents)

The principal mission of legislative branch is

to make laws

Article 1 Legislative branch includes 2 chambers: The

House of Representative and the Senate
The Legislative branch
The process of choosing Senators and
Representatives

The powers of legislative branch

I. CONSTITUTION
Articles (Documents)
The principal mission of executive branch is
to manage day-to-day operations of
government
Article 2 The Electoral College elects the President.
The Executive branch
The powers of the President

Brief discussion of the removal of the

President, called impeachment
I. CONSTITUTION
Articles (Documents)

Establishment of Supreme Court as the

highest court.

Article 3 The responsibility of the Supreme Court to

interpret and defend the principles of the
The Judicial branch Constitution

Kinds of cases that may be heard by the

federal judiciary
I. CONSTITUTION
Articles (Documents)

Establishment of relationship between

states and the Federal government as well as
relationship among states.
Article 4
US. Residents must have the same rights and
The States be treated equally in all states

The federal government ensures the

democracy in all states and protects the
states against invasion and insurrection
I. CONSTITUTION
Articles (Documents)

Article 5 Methods of amending or changing the

Amendments Constitution
I. CONSTITUTION
Articles (Documents)

The US Constitution, and all laws made

from it are the ‘supreme Law of the Land’,
Article 6
Supremacy, Oath
(Federal power) All officials, whether members of the state
legislatures, Congress, judiciary or the
Executive have to swear an oath to the
Constitution.
I. CONSTITUTION
Articles (Documents)

Details the method for ratification, or

Article 7 acceptance, of the Constitution: of the
original 13 states in the United States,
Ratification nine had to accept the Constitution
before it would officially go into effect.
I. CONSTITUTION
Amendments

There are 27 amendments, the first ten of which, made in

1791, are called “Bill of Rights”
I. CONSTITUTION Bill of Rights
A. Ratified Main contents
1. 1791 Guarantees the right to the freedoms of speech, press, and religion;
requesting change from the government.

2. 1791 Guarantees the people’s right to own and bear arms for their defense.

3. 1791 Citizens cannot be forced to quarter soldiers during times of peace.

4. 1791 the government may not search or take individual property without a
warrant.

5. 1791 Prohibits abuse of governmental authority in legal procedures. Also, the

government may not bring a person to trial more than once for the same
crime and may not take away property without a legal process.
I. CONSTITUTION Bill of Rights
A. Ratified Main contents
6. 1791 Guarantees fair and speedy jury trial and the rights to know the accusation

7. 1791 Individuals have the right to hear the charges, to question witnesses, and to
get witnesses to testify for them.

8. 1791 Protects people against unreasonable bail or fines and cruel or unusual
punishment.

9. 1791 Reserves the rights of citizens which are not specifically mentioned by the U.S.
Constitution.

10. 1791 Reserves powers that are not given to the U.S. government under the
Constitution, nor prohibited to a State of the U.S., to the people and the
States.
I. CONSTITUTION Other Amendments
A. Ratified Main contents
11. 1795 States are protected from suits by citizens living in another state or foreigners
that do not reside within the state borders.

12. 1804 Modifies and clarifies the procedure for electing vice-presidents and
presidents.

13. 1865 Slavery is illegal.

14. 1868 Ensures that all citizens of all states enjoyed not only rights on the federal
level, but on the state level, too.

15. 1870 Ensures that race cannot be used as a criteria for voting. (The back men have
the right to vote)
I. CONSTITUTION Other Amendments
A. Ratified Main contents
16. 1913 Congress has the right to tax income.

17. 1913 The citizens elect U.S. Senators directly.

18. 1919 Abolishes the sale or manufacture of alcohol in the United States

19. 1920 Ensures that gender cannot be used as a criteria for voting. (Women have
right to vote)

20. 1933 Establishes date of term starts for Congress (January 3) & the President
(January 20).
I. CONSTITUTION Other Amendments
A. Ratified Main contents
21. 1933 The Eighteenth Amendment was repealed.

22. 1951 Sets a limit on the number of times a President could be elected - two four-
year terms. It has one exception for a Vice-President who assumes the
Presidency after the death or removal of the President, establishing the
maximum term of any President to 10 years.

23. 1961 Grants the District of Columbia (Washington D.C.) the right to three electors in
Presidential elections.
24. 1964 It is illegal to require voting taxes.
I. CONSTITUTION Other Amendments
A. Ratified Main contents
25. 1967 Establishes the procedures for a successor of a President.

26. 1971 All citizens eighteen years and older may vote.

27. 1992 Denies any laws that vary the salaries of Congress members until the
beginning of the next terms of office for Representatives.
I. CONSTITUTION
AMENDMENTS OF THE CONSTITUTION
Purposes
Process
- To meet the development of society;
(1) An amendment is proposed by a
+ prohibit the manufacturing or sale
2/3 vote of both houses of
of alcohol within the U.S. (A18)
Congress;
- To maximize the people rights;
(2) The Archivist submits the
+ freedom in religion, speech, press
proposed amendment to the
(A1)
States for consideration;
+ right to keep and bear arms (A2)
(3) A proposed amendment becomes
- To ensure the justice in society;
part of the Constitution as soon as
+ citizenship (A14)
it is ratified by ¾ of the States
+ abolish slavery servitude (A13)
(38/50)
+ Right to vote (A15, A19)
END OF CHAPTER 5