Article of the Day
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
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From the U.S. Constitution
Interpretation
- This requires that each of the states has two senators in the Senate, there will be a new election for one-third of the Senate every 2 years, describes the age, residency and citizenship rules to become a Senator. The ...
Interpretation
Established procedures to follow in the case of presidential death and/or disability. States for the first time in the Constitution that the Vice President, when taking over the office of President after a vacancy occurs, has all of the powers ...
Interpretation
A soldier cannot take over your home for any reason, without your consent.
Interpretation
All bills for raising revenue (and the paychecks for members of Congress) shall originate in the House of Representatives, any bill passed in the two houses will go to the president and pending approval become a law. If the president ...
Interpretation
Not much in here to translate, really. This spells out the power of the Presidency. Note: a militia was then and is still now referred to as a citizen’s army of the states. (Today’s National Guard, for instance) Note also ...
Interpretation
If you’re 18, you can vote. Personally, I think the legal voting age should be raised to 30…but who am I to say?
Interpretation
Prohibition – the manufacture, transportation or sale of alcoholic beverages was prohibited. Sad times. Sad, sad times.
Interpretation
Election of Senators was granted to the people of each of the states.
Interpretation
States that each senator and representative will receive compensation for services to their country to be paid out by the U.S. treasury. They will also be immune from arrest, except for treason, felony, and breach of the peace, during an ...
Interpretation
The H of R shall be chosen every second year by the people of the states, and those elected shall have the qualifications that are deemed required by the largest branch of that particular state’s legislature. No tax or duty ...
Interpretation
Electors will vote for President and Vice President on separate ballots.
Interpretation
The right to vote cannot be denied because of a person’s sex
Interpretation
In the nutshell, this lays out extradition laws. Extradition is the process by which a person is transported to the original state of the committed crime to be tried in that state for that crime.
Interpretation
Self explanatory. To petition the government for redress of grievances means that we can ask the government to fix something we feel is broken.
Interpretation
This still holds some merit, but back in the days when this was written, most of the states had their own militia, and that militia was called upon to protect the state from invasion.
Interpretation
Repealed the 18th Amendment. The Prohibition Era in America was over. Happy times return.
Interpretation
Involuntary servitude – slavery – was abolished, unless it was the result of a sentence passed by a court of law upon conviction of a crime.
Interpretation
People and their personal property cannot be searched without a warrant, issued by a judge.
Interpretation
Powers that are not specifically granted to the national government are to be retained by the states and people.
Interpretation
All powers granted to the legislature (those who make, amend, and repeal laws) will exist in a Congress of the U.S. that consists of a Senate and a House of Representatives.
Interpretation
A person accused of a crime has the right to a fair and speedy trial by an impartial jury of his peers, to be informed of the accusations against him/her, to be confronted with the witnesses against him, to be ...
Interpretation
I remember learning about the Full Faith and Credit Clause in college. It actually was interpreted different ways pre and post ratification. The general idea of it, however, is that each state respects the laws of the other states.
Interpretation
Congress may pass a law increasing their salaries, but cannot collect it until after he or she has been through a federal election.
Interpretation
The fifth amendment lays out your rights to a trial. To be convicted of a crime, you have to be indicted and tried of it, first. Secondly, you cannot be retried if found innocent of that crime. This is what ...
Interpretation
Shortened the period of time between federal elections (first week of November in even numbered years) and the day that officials were sworn into office. Called the “Lame Duck Amendment” because it gave “lame duck” officials (those who were not ...
Interpretation
In any legal case involving a civil suit (lawsuit between two persons or groups), the defendant has the right to a trial by jury if the amount in question is over twenty dollars.
Interpretation
Each house will be the judge of their own elections and qualifications of it members. Each house may determine the rules of its proceedings, and punish it’s members for disorderly behavior. Both houses of Congress must keep a journal of ...
Interpretation
Congress cannot: 1. Prohibit the immigration of a person to the U.S. but can charge them money. 2. Ban the process of habeas corpus (A writ to bring a person before a court or a judge, most frequently used to ...
Interpretation
This article lies out two basic things. One is that our debt is just that. Our debt. The second is that a state can’t pass into law something that was already federally made illegal. For instance, Nevada couldn’t start a ...
Interpretation
People can not be denied the right to vote in federal elections – either primaries or general elections – because they had not paid a tax on voting. (Before this amendment, poor people, and most particularly ethnic and racial minorities, ...
Interpretation
I can’t see that this needs any interpretation. It’s pretty plain with maybe only one word needing a definition. Posterity: Descendants: All of the offspring of a given progenitor; “we must secure the benefits of freedom for ourselves and our ...
Interpretation
Black males were guaranteed the right to vote, and “race, color, or previous condition of servitude” could not be used as a reason to refuse anyone the right to vote.
Interpretation
President of the U.S. now limited to serving no more than two terms in office, and no more than a total of ten years (in the case where a Vice President moves into the presidency as the result of a ...
Interpretation
No state shall enter treaties with any foreign nation, issue their own money, or grant any title of nobility. No state can lay duties on imports or exports without the consent of Congress. No state can raise and maintain a ...
Interpretation
Congress can: 1. Collects taxes, duties, imposts, and excises to pay debts and proved defense. 2. Borrow money on the credit of the United States. 3. Regulate commerce with foreign nations. 4. Make laws regarding neutralization and bankruptcies. 5. Coin ...
Interpretation
Basically states that a new state can be formed, but not from within another unwilling state.
Interpretation
People who live in Washington, D.C. are allowed to vote for President and granted three electoral votes, the minimum number of Electoral College ballots. (Before this amendment, residents of the District of Columbia were prohibited from voting for President).
Interpretation
Fairly self explanatory. This lays out the terms of the President of the United States and everyone else in the Executive Branch. It also explains how the Electoral College was formed. This also states that the President shall be born ...
Interpretation
In the nutshell, again, this is how the Constitution can be changed. It requires a two-thirds vote from both parties of Congress, or by two thirds of the states. See the end of this document for 27 examples of this ...
Interpretation
Allows the Congress to levy an income tax without apportioning it among the states or basing it on Census results. This amendment exempted income taxes from the constitutional requirements regarding direct taxes, after income taxes on rents, dividends, and interest ...
Interpretation
A citizen from one state cannot sue a citizen in another state in federal court.
Interpretation
Again, very self explanatory, but for those that missed it, this states the President’s requirement to give what we now call the “State of the Union” Address. It also spells out that military officers are commissioned by the President.
Interpretation
This is the basic guarantee of civil rights for all Americans. It defined “citizenship” as anyone born or naturalized in the U.S. (this automatically granted citizenship rights to former slaves). States were prohibited from enforcing any law that took away ...
Interpretation
Section 4 says the method used to choose U.S. Senators and Representatives is up to the states.
Interpretation
Probably how I’d write it: It is left to the people to maintain a militia, regulated by the Congress (per Article 1, Section 8), which may become necessary to ensure security and freedom from a tyrannical government. And to ensure ...
Interpretation
The third Article goes into detail about the Judicial Branch of Government. Lays out that the Supreme Court is the highest court in the country. Judges and Justices will get lifetime appointments as long as they remain in “good behaviour”. ...
Recent Videos 
Last Night’s Huck Forum of Undecideds
In case you missed it, here are the complete videos of last night’s Huck forum of undecided voters in South Carolina.
Mad Jen makes an official plea for you to watch this movie: 180 Movie
Folks, there are few times in my life when I feel compelled to beg people to do anything. I’m somewhat of a “live and let live” kinda girl and I don’t usually wish to push my point of view on anyone. But this is important, of extreme importance. And I can’t help but beg each and every one of you to spend 33 minutes watching this video, the 33 most important minutes you’ll spend all day, and possibly of your life.

s seen from the last debate, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney are trying very hard to out sleaze each other. 