Learn About the United States
With the words “We the People,” the Constitution
states that the people set up the government. The
government works for the people and protects the
rights of people. In the United States, the power to
govern comes from the people, who are the highest
power. This is called “popular sovereignty.” The
people elect representatives to make laws.
4. What is an amendment?
++ a change (to the Constitution)
++ an addition (to the Constitution)
An amendment is a change or addition to the
Constitution. The Framers of the Constitution knew
that laws can change as a country grows. They did not
want to make it too easy to modify the Constitution,
the supreme law of the land. The Framers also did not
want the Constitution to lose its meaning. For this
reason, the Framers decided that Congress could pass
amendments in only two ways: by a two-thirds vote
in the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives
or by a special convention. A special convention has
to be requested by two-thirds of the states. After an
amendment has passed in Congress or by a special
convention, the amendment must then be ratified
(accepted) by the legislatures of three-fourths of the
states. The amendment can also be ratified by a special
convention in three-fourths of the states. Not all
proposed amendments are ratified. Six times in U.S.
history amendments have passed in Congress but were
not approved by enough states to be ratified.
5. What do we call the first ten amendments to the
Constitution?
++ the Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to
the Constitution. When the Framers wrote the
Constitution, they did not focus on individual rights.
They focused on creating the system and structure
of government. Many Americans believed that the
Constitution should guarantee the rights of the
people, and they wanted a list of all the things a
government could not do. They were afraid that a
strong government would take away the rights people
won in the Revolutionary War. James Madison, one
of the Framers of the Constitution, wrote a list of
individual rights and limits on the government. These
rights appear in the first 10 amendments, called the
Bill of Rights. Some of these rights include freedom
of expression, the right to bear arms, freedom from
search without warrant, freedom not to be tried twice
for the same crime, the right to not testify against
yourself, the right to a trial by a jury of your peers, the
right to an attorney, and protection against excessive
fines and unusual punishments. The Bill of Rights was
ratified in 1791.
6. What is one right or freedom from the First
Amendment?*
++ speech
++ religion
++ assembly
++ press
++ petition the government
The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights protects
a person’s right to freedom of expression. Freedom
of expression allows open discussion and debate
on public issues. Open discussion and debate are
important to democracy. The First Amendment also
protects freedom of religion and free speech. This
amendment says that Congress may not pass laws
that establish an official religion and may not limit
religious expression. Congress may not pass laws
that limit freedom of the press or the right of people
to meet peacefully. The First Amendment also gives
people the right to petition the government to change
laws or acts that are not fair. Congress may not
take away these rights. The First Amendment of the
Constitution guarantees and protects these rights.
7. How many amendments does the Constitution
have?
++ twenty-seven (27)
The first