The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation of the Constitution

The Constitution of the United States of America

Analysis and Interpretation of the Constitution

Includes 2010 Supplement: Analysis of Cases Decided by the Supreme Court of the United States to June 29, 2010.

Contents

• Introduction to the 2002 Edition
• Historical Note on Formation of the Constitution
• Constitution (Literal Print)
• Amendments (Literal Print)
• Proposed Amendments not Ratified by the States

The Constitution with Annotations

• Preamble
• Article I. Legislative Department
• Article II. Executive Department
• Article III. Judicial Department
• Article IV. States' Relations
• Article V. Mode of Amendment
• Article VI. Prior Debts, National Supremacy, Oaths of Office
• Article VII. Ratification

Amendments to the Constitution

• First Through Tenth Amendments: Bill of Rights
• First Amendment--Religion and Expression
• Second Amendment--Bearing Arms
• Third Amendment--Quartering Soldiers
• Fourth Amendment--Search and Seizure
• Fifth Amendment--Rights of Persons
• Sixth Amendment--Rights of Accused in Criminal Prosecutions
• Seventh Amendment--Civil Trials
• Eighth Amendment--Further Guarantees in Criminal Cases
• Ninth Amendment--Unenumerated Rights
• Tenth Amendment--Reserved Powers
• Eleventh Amendment--Suits Against States
• Twelfth Amendment--Election of President
• Thirteenth Amendment--Slavery and Involuntary Servitude
• Fourteenth Amendment--Rights Guaranteed: Privileges and Immunities of Citizenship, Due Process, and Equal Protection
• Fifteenth Amendment--Rights of Citizens to Vote
• Sixteenth Amendment--Income Tax
• Seventeenth Amendment--Popular Election of Senators
• Eighteenth Amendment--Prohibition of Intoxicating Liquors
• Nineteenth Amendment--Women's Suffrage Rights
• Twentieth Amendment--Terms of President, Vice President, Members of Congress: Presidential Vacancy
• Twenty-First Amendment--Repeal of Eighteenth Amendment
• Twenty-Second Amendment--Presidential Tenure
• Twenty-Third Amendment--Presidential Electors for the District of Columbia
• Twenty-Fourth Amendment--Abolition of the Poll Tax Qualification in Federal Elections
• Twenty-Fifth Amendment--Presidential Vacancy, Disability, and Inability
• Twenty-Sixth Amendment--Reduction of Voting Age Qualification
• Twenty-Seventh Amendment--Congressional Pay Limitation

State Constitutional and Statutory Provisions and Municipal Ordinances Held Unconstitutional or Held to Be Preempted by Federal Law

Three separate lists of Supreme Court decisions appear below: part I lists cases holding state constitutional or statutory provisions unconstitutional, part II lists cases holding local laws unconstitutional, and part III lists cases holding that state or local laws are preempted by federal law. Each case is briefly summarized, and the votes of Justices are indicated unless the Court's decision was unanimous. Previous editions contained only two lists, one for cases holding state laws unconstitutional or preempted by federal law, and one for unconstitutional or preempted local laws. The 2002 edition adds the third category because of the different nature of preemption cases. State or local laws held to be preempted by federal law are void not due to repugnancy with any provision of the Constitution, but rather due to conflict with a federal statute or treaty, and through operation of the Supremacy Clause. Preemption cases formerly listed in one of the first two categories have been moved to the third. A few cases with multiple holdings are listed in more than one category.

• Acts of Congress Held Unconstitutional in Whole or in Part by the Supreme Court of the United States
• State Laws Held Unconstitutional
• Ordinances Held Unconstitutional
• State and Local Laws Held Preempted by Federal Law

Prepared by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress. Editor-in-Chief: Kenneth R. Thomas. Managing Editor: Larry M. Eig. Editor Emeritus: Johnny H. Killian.

Last modified: October 22, 2012