As the framers wrote the Constitution and fought for its ratification they clearly envisioned a time and place where the supreme law of the land would have to be changed. As Jefferson himself stated, "The Constitution belongs to the living and not to the dead." In fact, it took but two years after ratification for the first ten amendments to be added.
You will now look at this process to change the Constitution. Respond to the following prompt...
1) How can the Constitution be changed? Please detail the formal and informal methods. Explain the differences between the two methods, the steps involved in the formal amending process, and the several ways to change the Constitution informally while providing examples.
2) Detail how the Constitution has been transformed as a result of the events on 9/11.
3) Finally, explain the claim that the Constitution is a flexible document.
The Constitution is the most important document in American history but sometimes it needs to be changed. There are two processes on how to do this they are called formal and informal. Formal has two stages called proposal and ratification. The proposal stage is where the amendment is proposed to Congress. The ratification stage is where Congress votes on the proposed amendment if two thirds of Congress approves it then it goes to each state legislature where they vote on it. If three fourths of the states approve it then the amendment has been approved.
ReplyDeleteIn the informal method Congress calls an Amendment proposing convention in those conventions delegates from each state go to vote on amendments. If three fourths of the states approve then it is law.
The Constitution has changed after 9/11 by the government can now tap phone lines and they can go into your home without a search warrant.
The Constitution is flexible in some ways others not so much. The words of the Constitution have never been changed. On the flexible side our government can change the constitution after the voting process.
The constitution can be changed formally and informally. The first step of the formal way of changing the constitution is the proposal state. There are two ways to make a proposal; the first one is the Amendment passes both chambers of congress with 2/3 vote each. The second way is for the congress to create a special national convention at the request of 2/3 of the states.
ReplyDeleteThe second stage of the formal way is the ratification stage. There are two ways to ratify the constitution, the first on is the amendment is passed by ¾ of the states legislatures. The second way is for the amendment to be passed by ¾ of states conventions.
The informal process is judicial interpretation. Judicial interpretation is where federal courts say what the constitution means. They can change the constitution in an informal government by saying something means something else then what was originally thought to mean. Some examples of informal changes are in 1896 the Plessy V. Ferguson court case and the brown V. board of education court case.
The Constitution has been transformed as a result of 9/11 by the federal government getting more power to ensure national security. They can tap phone lines, search your house if threatening national security.
The constitution is a flexible document because it has not stayed the same since it was ratified. You can change the constitution by amendments being passed. The federal courts can change the meaning of something written in the constitution.
The Constitution can be changed by formal and informal processes. The formal process has two proposal stages. One is when an amendment passes both chambers of Congress with 2/3 vote, while other is when congress creates a special national convention at the request of 2/3 of the states. There are two ways to ratify the Constitution. One is when ¾ of the state legislatures vote to pass the Amendment and the other is when state conventions ratify an amendment with ¾ of states voting for the bill. The informal process is when laws or policy arise that are interpreted by the Supreme Court.
ReplyDeleteThe attacks of 9/11 have changed our constitution by granting the federal government the power to tap phone lines and, in cases of national threat, arrest someone and search their property to for terrorist material.
The Constitution is flexible because in the Supreme Court case Plessey V.S. Ferguson in 1896, the Court ruled that segregation, as long as it is equal, is constitutional, and in 1952 in the case of Brown V.S. the Board of Education, the Court ruled that separate but equal was not constitutional.
The Constitution can be changed both formally and informally. The differences between the two processes are formal amendments show written/physical changes to the document. Informal amendments do not have to be written, and depend on Judicial Interpretation. In the formal amending process there are two stages. A proposal stage and a ratification stage. In the proposal stage there are two options. The first option is the Amendment passes both chambers of congress with 2/3rds vote in each. In the second option Congress creates a special national convention at the request of 2/3rds of the states.
ReplyDeleteIn the Ratification stage there are also two options. The first option is the Amendment can be passed by 3/4ths of state legislatures. (Currently 38 states) In the second option an Amendment may be passed by 3/4ths of state conventions.
To change the Constitution informally depends on Judicial Interpretation. An example would be Plessey vs. Ferguson in 1896, where the Supreme Court ruled white and black facilities could be kept separate, as long as they were equal.
As a result of the events of 9/11, the Constitution has been transformed. Now, if the Federal Government has reason to believe a person is a suspected terrorist or has important information, the Government has the right to search your home without a warrant. Since 9/11, national security has become more of a top priority. Freedom of speech is now limited if the speech threatens national security.
It is fair to say the U.S. Constitution is a flexible document. The Constitution can be changed at any time either now or in the future. What has been written in the past can be changed, or amended, at any time. The words are not set in stone. The Constitution’s past statements are still held to this day, and will always be, unless otherwise amended.
The Constitution can be changed, or amended, through two different methods. They consist of the formal process and the informal process.
ReplyDeleteThe formal process has two parts, the proposal stage and the ratification stage. There are two ways for an amendment to be proposed. The first is when an amendment passes both chambers in Congress with 2/3 vote in each. The second can occur if Congress calls a special national convention at the request of 2/3 of the states. There are also two ways for the ratification stage. The first is when the amendment is passed by 3/4 of state legislatures (38 states). The second is when the amendment passes 3/4 of state conventions.
The informal process is the other way in which the Constitution can be amended. This is through judicial interpretation. This can occur when a case is brought up to the Supreme Court that deals with how the Constitution is interpreted. An example of this would be the Plessey vs. Ferguson case of 1896. In this Supreme Court case, the Supreme Court ruled that facilities may be separated based on race, as long as they are equal. This changed the way the Constitution was interpreted by the informal process. The two processes are different because the formal requires an amendment to be ratified and the informal does not.
Since the events of 9/11, the Constitution has been transformed. The federal government is now stricter on suspected terrorists, and will not hesitate to search your home. This may be with or without a warrant. There are now more restrictions on freedom of speech, such as in airports. National security is more of a priority after the attacks of 9/11 and the interpretation of the Constitution reflects that.
The Constitution is a flexible document. If it was not, there would not be an amendment process. The Constitution has been changed a few times since its ratification, proving that it is flexible. The framers included a way to amend the Constitution so that problems arising in the future may be fixed with amendments to the document.
Changing the Constitution can be done two ways; there is a formal method and an informal method. There are two stages, proposal and ratification. The formal is this, the amendment may be proposed by a 2/3 vote in each house of Congress or at a national convention called by congress, with a 2/3 vote by state legislatures. It is then ratified by the legislation of ¾ of the state or by special state conventions called in three-fourths of the states.
ReplyDeleteAll amendments except the 21st have used the first method listed. That amendment was ratified by special state conventions instead of state legislatures. The president had no formal role in the amendment making process.
To informally change the constitution there are many ways, they all have to deal with judicial interpretation, political practice, and a change with demands on policy makers. Examples of changes that have been done informally are laws on abortion, members of the Electoral College rules, government and their taxes, Plessy vs. Ferguson, Brown vs. Board of Education, and many more. There have been various court cases that have altered the meaning of the Constitution, but will never be placed there as an “official amendment”.
The way this is done is it gives the courts the power to decide whether the acts of the legislatures are in agreement with the constitution. The Supreme Court gets to decide what they “think” the Constitution is saying. They normally have the final say so in an informal amendment change. Modern Technology has helped support candidates and helped shape citizen’s opinions. It also helps increase the power of the President. Increasing demands on policymakers has evolved the United States as a result of international affairs.
A formal amendment process requires an amendment to be written and added while an informal does not. This makes the two methods different.
As a result of September 11th the constitution has been effected. We now have extreme security laws in the United States; however they were not put into the constitution. Congress passed a broad resolution authorizing the president to use force on certain nations, organizations, or people alone that were involved in the attacks. It has concentrated additional power to the Chief Executive. This resolution served as a legal basis in 2002 for the war in Afghanistan. The USA Patriot Act was put into effect. It gave the executive branch many more powers for wiretapping, surveillance, and investigation of terrorism. The president’s authority has increased to meet the demands he has been placed with since 9/11.
The Constitution is a flexible amendment because it can be changed. You can add amendments formally and informally. It has been changed a few times after ratification. The framers gave us the right to make the Constitution flexible with the ability to change it.
The constitution can be changed by adding or revising amendments. The formal way of the amendment process is by going through the proposal stage. Here the amendment must be passed by both chambers with a 2/3 vote in each. Once it leaves that stage it goes to the ratification stage, for an amendment to be passed it must have ¾ of the state legislature to agree on it (38 states), 26 of the 27 amendments have been passed by process.
ReplyDeleteAnother way is once the amendments passes through both chambers of congress the amendment can be passed by ¾ of the state conventions, this only has happened once though. Instead of having the amendment passing through both houses in congress another way of going through the proposal stage is for congress to create a special national convention at the request of 2/3 states, if it gets passed there is goes on to the ratification stage without having to be passed by both houses of congress. The formal amendment process is to add in amendments to the constitutions or to add or alter its words and it’s also the most explicit way of changing the constitution.
The informal process of changing the constitution is by judicial interpretation (the courts), changing political practice, technology, and increase demands on policymakers. When you go through the informal process you are not changing a word or letter in the constitution, you are simply interpreting what is already there. For example Amendment II, the right to bear arms, we had to go through the informal process to decide how it should be interpreted. They had to decide if everyone has the right to bear arms or if only the militia did. It also helps stretch some powers wit out breaking any amendments.
The constitution has changed some since the attack of 9/11, mainly by giving increase power to the president. The president now has the power for himself to identify or determine who the enemy is, and gave him the power to use all means necessary and appropriate to defend the United States. Also the attack has led up to the Patriot Act. This act lets government have the power to wiretap phone lines, look at civilians records from places like the doctors, libraries, and colleges, also searches can be done without probable cause and prior knowledge with owner. Basically it has increased the president’s power along with the rest of the governments power and took away some of the rights of the civilians when it comes to privacy and by rendering the 4th amendment.
What is written in the constitution was not meant to be written in stone, it was made to be flexible. The Supreme Court is the only court required by the constitution, everything else is not in the constitution. It was made for future generations to change it when it was needed. It is broad so we can change it when necessary.
The constitution can be changed by adding or revising amendments. The formal way of the amendment process is by going through the proposal stage. Here the amendment must be passed by both chambers with a 2/3 vote in each. Once it leaves that stage it goes to the ratification stage, for an amendment to be passed it must have ¾ of the state legislature to agree on it (38 states), 26 of the 27 amendments have been passed by process.
ReplyDeleteAnother way is once the amendments passes through both chambers of congress the amendment can be passed by ¾ of the state conventions, this only has happened once though. Instead of having the amendment passing through both houses in congress another way of going through the proposal stage is for congress to create a special national convention at the request of 2/3 states, if it gets passed there is goes on to the ratification stage without having to be passed by both houses of congress. The formal amendment process is to add in amendments to the constitutions or to add or alter its words and it’s also the most explicit way of changing the constitution.
The informal process of changing the constitution is by judicial interpretation (the courts), changing political practice, technology, and increase demands on policymakers. When you go through the informal process you are not changing a word or letter in the constitution, you are simply interpreting what is already there. For example Amendment II, the right to bear arms, we had to go through the informal process to decide how it should be interpreted. They had to decide if everyone has the right to bear arms or if only the militia did. It also helps stretch some powers wit out breaking any amendments.
The constitution has changed some since the attack of 9/11, mainly by giving increase power to the president. The president now has the power for himself to identify or determine who the enemy is, and gave him the power to use all means necessary and appropriate to defend the United States. Also the attack has led up to the Patriot Act. This act lets government have the power to wiretap phone lines, look at civilians records from places like the doctors, libraries, and colleges, also searches can be done without probable cause and prior knowledge with owner. Basically it has increased the president’s power along with the rest of the governments power and took away some of the rights of the civilians when it comes to privacy and by rendering the 4th amendment.
What is written in the constitution was not meant to be written in stone, it was made to be flexible. The Supreme Court is the only court required by the constitution, everything else is not in the constitution. It was made for future generations to change it when it was needed. It is broad so we can change it when necessary.
The Constitution can be changed in two ways, either formally or informally. The formal method has two steps, the proposal stage and the ratification stage. In the proposal stage the Congress can propose an amendment by a 2/3 vote in both the House and the Senate. If the amendment passes the proposal stage then it goes to the ratification stage. To ratify there must be a ¾ vote of the state legislators or ¾ of the state special conventions. Another way to formally propose and amendment is that the Congress can create a National Convention upon the request of 2/3 of the states.
ReplyDeleteTo informally change the Constitution the words of the document are not changed. There are several ways to informally change the Constitution. Political practices are a way and the two party systems have developed from this. Bills passed by Congress are another way to informally change the Constitution and an example of this would be Congress passing a bill expanding the power of the President. Judicial interpretation and technology are the other two ways to informally change the Constitution. An example of judicial interpretation would be Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board and an example of technology would be that several new technologies have developed over the years that connect the people to the government.
The differences between the two methods would be that when the Constitution is formally changed there are actually changes being made to the writing of the Constitution and amendments are being added. With the informal method the writings of the Constitution are not changed.
As a result of the events of 9/11 the government has gained more power. The President can now declare war on an enemy without being checked and the government can tap phone lines and search houses without cause if you are a suspected terrorist.
The Constitution is stated as a flexible document because it does not prescribe in detail the structure of the national government. The framers made it this way because they knew times would change and they did not make it set and stone so that it could change to fit the needs of the people as time goes on. The Constitution being flexible has ensured our nations survival.
The constitution can be changed either in an informal or formal way. The formal way to change the constitution is either the proposal stage or the ratification stage. The proposal stage is where congress can produce an amendment with 2/3 vote from the house and the senate. The ratification stage is where ¾ of the state legislature vote to ratify the amendment. Congress can also call a national convention with 2/3 of the states. The informal way to change the constitution is political practices, when congress passes bills (extending the power of the president) and the federal courts interpretation. An example of this is Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board. Technology is also an informal way because it connects the government to the people. The formal method in changing the constitution is adding a whole new amendment and the informal method is just changing the meaning of an already existing method (extending the power of the president).
ReplyDeleteThe constitution has been transformed since the attacks of 911. Government now has the power to tap phone lines and search your house without a warrant.
The constitution is a flexible document because if it wasn’t we wouldn’t have 27 amendments. Flexible is being able to change and amendment is adding to the constitution, which would be changing it.
The federalist was right in the ratification battles. The federalist created a document that was a response to the uncertainty of the nation. The anti-federalist thought the constitution was abusing the power of the government.
The Constitution can be changed two different ways. The formal way to change the Constitution is specified in Amendment V. Congress proposes a law with 2/3 vote in both houses. It is then taken to all the state legislatures and if 3/4 of them vote for it, the bill is passed. Another way to do this is to have Congress propose the bill with 2/3 vote in both houses then calling for the states to have state conventions where it needs 3/4 vote to be passed.
ReplyDeleteThe informal process involves things including judicial interpretation and the change of political practice. An example of judicial interpretation would be Plessey vs. Ferguson when they legalized racial segregation. This ruling has been overturned due to different interpretations. An example of changing political practice would be how the Electoral College votes for the President. These informal ways are not in the Constitution and as government officials change, so do their views on how to interpret the Constitution.
The Constitution has changed since 9/11 by giving the President more power. Congress passed laws giving the President the right to declare war, determine the enemy, the use of tapping phone lines, and new powers that help the investigations of suspected terrorists.
The Constitution is a flexible document because it is short and simple. It is not specific about topics allowing them to be able to change in the future. The Constitution is mainly a guideline with things that are able to change.
There are two ways to change the constitution,you can change it formally or informally. To make a formal change or physically alter the writing of the constitution, you must get passed the proposal stage with a 2/3 vote from both parts of congress or a national convention can be created by a 2/3 vote from the states. After the proposal stage has been finished you move into the ratification stage where there are two options to ratify the amendment, the first way is if ¾ of state legislatures vote to pass the amendment. The second way is to have state conventions and get ¾ of them to pass the amendment. To informally change the constitution you could have a new interpretation of a law by the Supreme Court an example would be in the case of Plessey v Ferguson the Supreme Court ruled that states could segregate citizens due to race but in the 1950s the Supreme Court ruled that states could not segregate based on race. Other ways to informally change the constitution are to pass bills or things that just become political practices such as political parties select electors.
ReplyDeleteAfter the events of 9/11 the constitution was changed giving the president more powers such as the ability to wage war, tap phone lines with no warrant, and search your home to protect national security.
The constitution is a flexible document because it is able to be altered and has been several times either by formal or informal practices.
The Constitution can be changed in two ways. It can be changed formally and informally.
ReplyDeleteThe formal method of changing the Constitution is developed in Article V of the Constitution. In the formal method there are two stages. The first stage of the formal method is the proposal stage. Congress can propose an amendment if 2/3 of both the House of Representatives and the Senate agree. This way has been used 26 times since the Constitution was created. Today 290 of the representatives in the House and 67 of the Senators would have to agree for an amendment to be proposed. Another way that an amendment can be proposed is by a national convention. Congress can create a national convention upon the request of 2/3 of the states. The second stage of the formal method is the ratification stage. An amendment can be ratified if ¾ of the state legislators vote to ratify it. Today to ratify an amendment 38 of the state legislators have to vote to ratify the amendment. Another way that an amendment can be ratified is if ¾ of the state special conventions vote to ratify it. This way has only been used 1 time since the creation of the Constitution and it was for the 21st Amendment.
The informal method of changing the Constitution has four ways to do so. The first way is through political practices. The United States developed a two party system early on in its development. The parties choose the electors. The second way is through bills passed by Congress. Congress has passed bills expanding the power of the President. The third way is through judicial interpretation. The federal courts interpret the Constitution. In 1896 in Plessy v. Ferguson states could segregate citizens based on race. In the 1950s in Brown v. Education states could not segregate based on race. The fourth way is through technology. Technology has changed the role of government and its connection to the people.
The Constitution has been transformed because of the events of 9/11. Some of the things that have been changed are that the President has the power to tap the phone lines of suspected terrorists. He also is the person who suspects people of being terrorists. The President has the ability to search the homes of suspected terrorists. These powers are not granted in the Constitution but they are powers the President has because of the events of 9/11.
The Constitution is said to be a flexible document because it is able to be changed with the times. It is not set in stone and many of the governmental units today are not mentioned in the Constitution. The framers made the Constitution flexible and easy to change with the times. The Constitution leaves many things up to the Congress and doesn’t have many details.
The Constitution of the United States of America can be changed by two methods, those being formal and informal. The first method we will look at is informal. This method involves the amending of the Constitution whilst the second method that we will look at doesn’t. The second method, rather, changes the Constitution by political action.
ReplyDeleteTo change the Constitution formally, an amendment must first be proposed. To do this, Congress must propose an amendment and receive 2/3 of the vote in both the Senate and House of Representatives. In our current Congress, that would require 290 representatives and 67 senators to vote in favor of the amendment. This is not the only way to propose an amendment. Congress can also create a national convention if 2/3 of the states request for it to be done. The next step in changing the Constitution formally is the process of amendment ratification. In order for it to be ratified, 3/4 of the state legislatures must vote for it to be approved. With our current quantity of states, that would require the approval of at least 38 states. There is only one other method for the amendment to be ratified. This requires 3/4 of the state special convention vote.
A plethora of different things can result in the Constitution being changed informally. The first example would be political parties. Early upon the creation of the United States of America, a two-party system was formed. Thus, political parties have early on battled for political control of the United States. The parties change the Constitution in the way that they choose electors. Another example of how the constitution can be changed informally in through bills that are passed by Congress. For instance, after 9/11, Congress passed various bills which expanded the power of the president. Lastly, another way that the Constitution can be changed informally is through judicial interpretation. If a federal court interprets a section of the Constitution one way, it can be interpreted a different way by different people in the federal courts. The decision that segregation based on race was allowed from the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson case and the 1954 decision that segregation based on race was not be tolerated from the case of Brown v. Board of Education provides an excellent example of how the Constitution can be interpreted differently.
The Constitution has been transformed as a result of 9/11 in the amount of power that the president has. The president has gained power throughout history, however, after 9/11, the amount of power the president had rose dramatically. The president was given the ability to search a person’s home and possessions without consent if they were suspected to be a terrorist. Also, the president was given the right to hold a person if they were a suspected terrorist without the writ of habeas corpus. It is, though, debated upon whether the president can hold suspected terrorists indefinitely.
The United States Constitution is definitely a flexible document because it is always open to change. As time goes by, people interpret the Constitution differently and a new meaning is given to a certain section of it. People find parts of the Constitution to be unconstitutional. Therefore, an amendment might be proposed and if supported enough, ratified. The Constitution was set up in the way that if there ever was a problem with it, it could be changed.
There are two ways that you may change the constitution, formal and informal. The formal process starts with congress can propose an amendment by a 2/3 vote in each house, then it goes to the State Legislatures and they can ratify an amendment by a vote of ¾ of the states. This way has been used for every amendment adopted except the twenty-first amendment.
ReplyDeleteThe informal process begins with judicial interpretation. This can happen when a case is brought up to the Supreme Court and deals with how the Constitution is interpreted. An Example of this is the case Plessy v. Ferguson of 1896 , states could segregate by race as long as facilities were separate but equal.
The events on 9/11 transformed the constitution by increased demands on the president and a notable increase in authority to meet those demands.
The constitution is a flexible document because if needed the government can go through the formal or informal process and change it.
There is a formal and informal way to change the constitution.
ReplyDeleteThe formal method is developed in Article V of the constitution. The first step is the proposal stage. Congress can propose an amendment by a 2/3 vote in both the house and the senate. The second step is the ratification stage. 3/4 of the state legislature vote to ratify and approve the amendment.
An informal way is through political practices. The U.S very early developed a 2 party system. The parties chose the electors. Another informal method is bills passed by Congress. Congress has passed bills expanding the power of the president. The last informal way is through judicial interpretation. Federal courts interpret the constitution.
Examples of this are 1896 Plessy vs. Ferguson. States could segregate citizens based on race. Another example is in the 1950’s Brown v. Board. It was decided states could not segregate based on race.
Since 9/11 the constitution has changed. Congress passed a broad resolution that the president can use force against those nation, organizations, or persons that he alone determined were involved in the attacks. Also congress passed another resolution authorizing the president to use “all means necessary and appropriate,” which included the use of military force, to defend the United States against Iraq and enforce UN resolutions regarding Iraq.
The Constitution is a flexible document. There are formal and informal ways to change it when needed. It has been changed before and will probably change again.
There are two methods on how to change the constitution, in the formal method and informal method.
ReplyDeleteThe formal method, which was developed in article V of the constitution, there are two stages to this method. The first stage is the proposal stage and the other is the ratification stage. In the proposal stage, congress can propose an amendment, by a two thirds vote in both the House of Representatives and the senate. Which means at least 290 votes in favor of the amendment must come from the house and at least 67 from the senate. Another way is the convention upon the request of two thirds of states, which has never been used.
The ratification stage, three fourths (38 states) of state legislatures must vote to ratify or approve the amendment. Another way in the ratification stage is three fourths of the state special conventions can vote to ratify the amendment, this process has only happened once with the twenty-first amendment.
The informal method tells the four ways on how the constitution can be changed, Political parties, which was developed early on by the United States and each of the two parties can choose their electors. Bills passed by congress, congress can pass bills to do many things, such as expanding the presidents’ power. Judicial interpretation, federal courts can interpret the constitution, an example is the court case of Plessy vs. Ferguson which allowed states to segregate citizens due to and based on race. Then in the 1950’s in the court case of Brown vs. Board it changes the result of the court case of Plessy vs. Ferguson, making it to a state can no longer segregate citizens based on race. And technology the last and final way to make a change to the constitution in an informal way because technology causes change of the role of government and it changes the connection the government has with the people. These are all ways to change the constitution informally.
As the result of September 11th, 2001 the constitution has been changed or transformed in an informal way by congress passing bills to expand the powers of the president, which allowed the president to tap into phone calls onto the people which he may suspect to be a terrorists, and the president may do the same if he needed to search into suspect’s home.
The claim that the constitution is a flexible document is true because the constitution has been changed many times; many amendments have been added to it since the day it was ratified till the last amendment happened in 1992. The framers allowed this to happen so in the future we could determine our own needs and if something needed to be changed or added to the constitution it could happen. This flexibility has helped ensure the survival of the Constitution and the nation as well.
The constitution can be changed two ways, formally and informally. The Formal method consists of two steps, the proposal stage and the ratification stage.
ReplyDeleteThe Proposal stage is when an amendment is proposed to Congress, this stage consists of three options. The first option is that Congrees can propose an amendment by a 2/3 vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The second option to propose an amendment by a ¾ vote of the state special coventions to rattify the amendment. The third option, which has never occurred, is Congress can create a national convention upon the request of a 2/3 vote of the states. The Informal method is another way to change the constitution . Changing the Constitution informally depends on judicial interpretation. An example of the Constitution being changed informally is the Plessy v. Ferguson court case in 1896, which stated that a state could segregate citizens based on race. Another example is the Brown v. Board of Education case in the 1950s, which stated that states could not segregate based on race.
The Constitution has been changed as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Since 9/11, the government now has more power ensuring national security. The government can search your home and tap your phone lines if the president thinks you are a threat to national security.
The Constitution is deffinately a flexible document, if it wasn’t, then there would be no amendments to it. What was once written can be changed at any time. The framers of the Constitution made us able to change the document so if problems arise in the future, it may be fixed by an amendment.
The formal method to changing the Constitution is a two step process. The first step is the proposal stage where congress can propose an amendment by a 2/3 vote in both houses. The House of Representatives needs 290 votes and the Senate needs 67 votes. Another way to propose an amendment is the Congress can create a national convention at the request of 2/3 of the states.
ReplyDeleteThe second step is the ratification stage where 3/4 of the state legislatures vote to ratify the amendment. This would need 38 states to ratify it. The other way it can be ratified is 3/4 of the state special conventions vote to ratify.
There are many informal ways to change the Constitution also. Political practices are where the U.S. early on developed the two party system. Bills passed by congress have expanded the powers of the president. There are several examples of Judicial Interpretation, the third example of informal changes to the Constitution. Federal courts are the people who interpret the constitution after all. Two examples of this are Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) and Brown v. Board (1950’s), both these cases had to deal with the segregating based on race. The final informal way is technology, which changes the role of government and its control over the people.
The constitution has been changed informally as a result of the events on 9/11. More power has been given to the president as a result of this day. Congress gave the president the power to identify the enemy, determine if and when the United states would go to war, they also gave him the power of wiretapping, surveillance, and investigating terrorism suspects.
The Constitution is definitely a flexible document because of all the changes it has gone through. There have been many amendments to the constitution and it is changed a lot through informal ways also. Judicial interpretation is one of the most frequent ways it changes. The document is going to be seen differently in other people’s eyes. It is necessary for this document to be able to adapt over time.
The Constitution can be changed in one of two ways; formally, or informally. There are two ways of formal method and they are spelled out in Article V of the Constitution. Both ways require a two step process. The first stage is the proposal stage. In this, Congress proposes an amendment. For the amendment to follow through to step two it must first pass a 2/3 vote in both houses of Congress. That consists of 290 votes in the House of Representatives and 67 votes in the senate. The second step is the ratification step. The amendment is taken to the states legislature for vote. A total of 38 states or ¾ must approve of the amendment. If an amendment can pass both of these steps then it has made it through the first way of the formal method of changing the Constitution.
ReplyDeleteThe second formal way of changing the Constitution has only been used once and that was with the 21st amendment, the repeal of prohibition. The first step of this process is to get a ¾ of the states to hold their own conventions. At these conventions ¾ of the states must ratify the amendment. One final way that has never been, and probably never will be used, is for the Congress to create a national convention upon a 2/3 request of the states.
Many informal changes have been made to the Constitution since it has been in effect. There are four main ways with examples of each. The first one is political practices. An example of this is that the U.S. has always had a two party political system. Another example is that those two parties choose the electors they want in the Electoral College.
The second one is bills passed by congress. An example of this is Congress passing bills that expand Presidential power. The third way is judicial interpretation which is how the federal courts interpret the Constitution. There are many examples of this. Two of the most famous are the 1896 case of Plessy v Ferguson that stated that people could be segregated based on color as long as they were “separate but equal.” And the counteract of that case in the 1950 Brown v Board of education that stated that states cannot segregate based on color. The final is technology. The prime example of this is that it changes the government’s connection to the people.
The difference between the two methods is that the formal method physically changes the wording of the constitution whereas the informal method just changes how we look at those laws.
The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 have greatly changed how the Constitution has been transformed. No formal changes to the Constitution have been made thus far but plenty of informal changes have been. These include but are in no way limited to; tighter security, the presidents use of force against the nations, organizations, and/or people that (s)he determined were involved in the attacks, giving the president power to use all means necessary to defend the nation against harm, and giving the president power to go to war, and the USA patriot act.
The constitution is a flexible document because the framers wanted the constitution to be able to change with the times without giving up personal freedoms. As the constitution changes, it grows stronger. That is why it is the oldest living constitution in the world.
There are two ways to change the Constitution, formally and informally. I will explain the formal process first. There are two steps in the formal process, the proposal stage and the ratification stage. In the proposal stage Congress can propose and amendment and two- thirds of both the Senate and House of Representatives must vote in favor for the proposal to become an amendment for Congress that is two hundred and ninety votes in the house and sixty-seven votes. Congress can also create a national convention upon request of two -thirds of the states but this method has never been used to amend the Constitution.
ReplyDeleteThe second step in the formal process, the ratification step, has been used twenty- six times. This is when there is three-fourths, or thirty eight states, vote of agreement from the state legislatures to ratify an amendment. There are also states special conventions where there must be a three- fourths vote for ratification.
The second way to change the Constitution is informally, there are four different ways the Constitution is changed informally, through political practices, by bills passed by Congress, judicial interpretation, and technology.
In the United States we have had political parties for a long time; we have always had a two party system. Also in elections political parties choose the electors for that state. For example, in Ohio if in an election the majority vote was for a republican candidate then the Republican Party would have a list of electors who would vote for the republican candidate and ensure that that candidate won that state.
The Constitution is changed informally through bills passed by Congress as well. Congress has passed bills that expand the president’s power, for example the president can tap into a suspected terrorists phone lines and that is nowhere in the Constitution.
The third way the Constitution is changed informally is through judicial interpretation. With appointing new judges on the federal courts they may interpret the Constitution differently than a previous judge, for example the Plessy vs. Ferguson case, in 1896, that said states could segregate citizens based on race but then later in the 1950’s the Brown vs. Board case said that states could not segregate based on race.
Finally, the Constitution can be changed informally by technology. Technology has changed the way government is connected to the people. Through its advances newspapers are no longer the only way you could find out what is going on in your country, now we have the internet, television, and radio.
9/11 has changed the Constitution, but not formally, since the attack our national security is a larger interest. The government can also tap the phone lines of a suspected terrorist or even search your home without a warrant.
The Constitution is a flexible document in which we can make changes to it, or amend it. The framers even included a formal way to amend the Constitution and we have done so twenty- seven times.
The Constitution can be changed in one of two ways; formally, or informally. There are two ways of formal method and they are spelled out in Article V of the Constitution. Both ways require a two step process. The first stage is the proposal stage. In this, Congress proposes an amendment. For the amendment to follow through to step two it must first pass a 2/3 vote in both houses of Congress. That consists of 290 votes in the House of Representatives and 67 votes in the senate. The second step is the ratification step. The amendment is taken to the states legislature for vote. A total of 38 states or ¾ must approve of the amendment. If an amendment can pass both of these steps then it has made it through the first way of the formal method of changing the Constitution.
ReplyDeleteThe second formal way of changing the Constitution has only been used once and that was with the 21st amendment, the repeal of prohibition. The first step of this process is to get a ¾ of the states to hold their own conventions. At these conventions ¾ of the states must ratify the amendment. One final way that has never been, and probably never will be used, is for the Congress to create a national convention upon a 2/3 request of the states.
Many informal changes have been made to the Constitution since it has been in effect. There are four main ways with examples of each. The first one is political practices. An example of this is that the U.S. has always had a two party political system. Another example is that those two parties choose the electors they want in the Electoral College.
The second one is bills passed by congress. An example of this is Congress passing bills that expand Presidential power. The third way is judicial interpretation which is how the federal courts interpret the Constitution. There are many examples of this. Two of the most famous are the 1896 case of Plessy v Ferguson that stated that people could be segregated based on color as long as they were “separate but equal.” And the counteract of that case in the 1950 Brown v Board of education that stated that states cannot segregate based on color. The final is technology. The prime example of this is that it changes the government’s connection to the people.
The difference between the two methods is that the formal method physically changes the wording of the constitution whereas the informal method just changes how we look at those laws.
The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 have greatly changed how the Constitution has been transformed. No formal changes to the Constitution have been made thus far but plenty of informal changes have been. These include but are in no way limited to; tighter security, the presidents use of force against the nations, organizations, and/or people that (s)he determined were involved in the attacks, giving the president power to use all means necessary to defend the nation against harm, and giving the president power to go to war, and the USA patriot act.
The constitution is a flexible document because the framers wanted the constitution to be able to change with the times without giving up personal freedoms. As the constitution changes, it grows stronger. That is why it is the oldest living constitution in the world.
1) The constitution can be changed in two ways, formally and informally. The formal method is the one most used. It consists of two steps, proposal stage and ratification stage. In the proposal stage congress has to pass the “proposed” amendment through 2/3 vote in both houses. Then in the ratification stage, ¾ vote of a special state convention must ratify (approve) it. Congress creates this convention with 2/3 approval of all states.
ReplyDeleteThe informal method can be done four ways: political practices, bills passed by Congress, Judicial interpretation, and technology.
A. Political practices- The U.S. developed a two party system early on, and political parties can choose the electors who then vote on a proposed amendment.
B. Bills passed by Congress- Congress had the power to expand the powers of the president; this still keeps power separate and equal.
C. Judicial Interpretation- It is the judicial branches job to interpret laws, and it has the power to rule things unconstitutional or void because they violate rights. For example in Plessy V. Ferguson where the courts ruled that states could segregate schools based on race. Then later on in the Brown V. Board of education trial, it was ruled that segregating schools was unconstitutional.
D. Technology-Technology changes roles in government its connection with the people, through blogs, articles, and multimedia, etc.
2) The constitution has changed since 9/11. We have enacted new laws that give the federal government the power to invade usually private practices like tapping a phone, or search a home if it threatens national security
3) The constitution is a flexible document. It can be changed many times. To this day it has been changed 27 times, and I can almost guarantee that as our country continues to expand and grow, that we will have to add on or change it some more.
The Constitution is basically the backbone of our society. However, it sometimes becomes outdated and must be altered. Two ways you could go about doing this would be through a formal way and an informal way.
ReplyDeleteThe formal way involves first identifying a problem with the Constitution. Then they would bring the issue up and begin the Proposal Stage. This involves the House of Representatives and the Senate voting on whether they think it should be amended. If so, they must come up with a 2/3 majority vote between both the House and the Senate. Next, is the Ratification Stage in which the government must consult the states and come up with a 2/3 vote between the state legislatures.
The informal way involves Congress creating a convention in which the States directly vote on the issue. However, in order for this convention to be put in place, a 2/3 majority vote must happen between the states. This method of amending the Constitution does not happen very much. The only amendment that has been changed using this method is the 21st.
The Constitution has been changed drastically since the events of 9/11. Examples of this include; the government having the right to now tap phones without actual evidence of someone being involved in terrorist activities. Also, they can be granted a warrant for someone that they believed was involved in terrorist activity and could search their home.
The Constitution, in my opinion is most definitely a flexible document. The reason I say this is because you can change it, even though it is difficult, it can still be changed.
There are two ways to change the constitution, informally and formally. The formal change has two proposal stages. Both the house and senate have to pass the amendment with a 2/3 vote. The house needs 290 votes for it to pass. The senate needs 67 votes for it to pass. The other way is the special nation convention needs 2/3 of the states to pass. When ratifying the constitution there are two ways to do this. One is by the state legislature passes the amendment with a ¾ vote. The state needs 38 votes. The other way to ratify the constitution is the state convention passes it with a ¾ vote.
ReplyDeleteYou can also change the constitution informally. The first step is political practices. The United States developed a two party system. The different parties choose the electors. The second step is the Bill is passed by congress. The congress has passed bills expanding power of the government. A judicial interpretation is an informal way of changing the constitution. The Federal courts interpret the constitution. Some examples of informal change are Plessy V Ferguson, Brown V Board of Education, government and their taxes and laws on abortion.
The difference between these two methods is that the formal method shows physical change and the informal method does not need to be written down.
The constitution has been changed as a result of 9/11 because Congress has now given the president more power over the war on terrorism. He has the power to wage war. He decides who we are attacking and when. The president can now tap into our phone lines if you are a suspected terrorist. He can send people to break into your house if you threaten national security. The president can do all this without having a warrant. Your freedom of speech is limited because of 9/11.
Our Constitution is flexible because we have been changing the constitution since it was ratified. Congress can add new amendments if they pass and the federal courts can change the wording of some of the amendments.
The two main methods that can change the Constitution are formally and informally. There are two methods in which you can change the Constitution formally. The first step of the formal method would be proposing the amendment. There can be two ways in which the Congress can propose and amendment.
ReplyDeleteThe first, Congress would need two-thirds vote from both the House of Representatives and the Senate. This means, two hundred and ninety Representatives from the house would need to vote in favor for the amendment, and sixty-seven members from the Senate would also need to vote in favor for the amendment.
The last way to propose the amendment is to have Congress create a national convention upon the request of two-thirds of the states. But, this method has never been used to change the Constitution. The second step of the formal method would be the ratification stage. To ratify, or approve, the Constitution, three-fourths of the State Legislatures vote in the favor. Thirty-eight states would have to vote in favor of. Anything below this number would be worthless, and the proposed amendment would be dropped.
There are many ways to informally change the Constitution. One example would be political practices. Technically, the Constitution consisted of no political parties when it was ratified, but in the United States they were developed very early on. And, as a result of this, the Electoral College, which was supposed to exercise wisdom independent of the majority of people, has now been changed to a support system for candidates running for president. This means that the candidates running for president now chooses the electors, who they know will vote for them.
Another example is Judicial Interpretation. With the Constitution being the “supreme law of the land”, this means that the federal courts interpret the Constitution. In 1803, there was a court case of Marburry v. Madison, which puts into power the judicial review. This basically states that power gives the courts the right to decide whether the actions of the legislative and executive branches of state and national governments are in accord with the Constitution.
Some prime examples of this would be the 1896 court hearing of Plessy v. Ferguson, stating that states could segregate people based on race. And then in the 1950s, in the court case of Brown v. Board, it stated that states could not segregate based on race.
Another example would be the bills passed by Congress. And, Congress had passed many bills increasing the power of the President. Because of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the President was given many new powers that Congress passed and did not write into the Constitution.
The last example is technology. New technology changes the role of government and its connection to the people because modern technology has increased the development of mass media, which can reach a huge amount of people very fast. Also the bureaucracy has started to use computer more and more which helps with the writing of Social Security checks. Also, the internet provides more news to citizens, where they will see it, and this connects the government to more of the population.
There is one huge difference between the formal and informal methods. The formal method actually amends the Constitution, which would physically be changing the words of the Constitution. The informal method has changed the Constitution without actually changing the wording.
The formal way to changing the constitution involves creating an amendment. It involves two stages, the proposal and ratification stages. The Proposal stage comes first. It is described in detail in article V of the constitution. The proposal stage can go in two different directions. Either congress can propose an amendment by a 2/3 vote in both houses or congress can create a national convention upon request of 2/3 of the states. Then is the amendment passes the proposal stage it goes to the ratification stage. Where it can either be passed by ¾ of the state legislatures vote or by ¾ of the states special convention vote.
ReplyDeleteThe informal method involves situations not specifically mentioned in the constitution. There are various ways to do this. For example political practices have been changes. The U.S. developed a two party system and has parties choose the electors for electing a president. Or, bills can be passed by congress. The congress has passed bills that gave the president more power. Another way is through judicial interpretations. This is when the federal courts interpret the constitution. For example in Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board the federal courts ruled the complete opposite on the same issue of segregation. Another way is through technology. It effects how government is connected to its people.
As an effect of 9/11 some things have been transformed in the constitution. The main thing is that the president has received much more power. This is to ensure national security. The president now has the power to tap phone lines of suspected terrorist and search homes without a warrant if they may violate or national security.
The constitution is pretty flexible. The exact words do not ever change but there can be words added to those previously there to change the meaning by adding amendments. Or the words that are present can be interpreted differently and can change the meaning of laws.
The U.S Constitution can be changed through an amendment, which is a formal change to the Constitution. There are 27 Amendments and two ways to change the Constitution, formally and informally.
ReplyDeleteThe Formal Amendment Process has two stages. The first stage is the proposal stage. When an amendment is proposed, it must be passed by both chambers of Congress with two-thirds vote in each. Another option is Congress must create a national convention at the request of two-thirds of states. The second state is the ratification stage. Three-fourths of the state legislatures (38 states) must pass the amendment. This method has been used 26 times. Another formal was to pass an amendment is to have three-fourths of state conventions pass the amendment. This has only been used once, for the 21st amendment.
The U.S government also changes without actually changing the words of the Constitution. This is through the Informal Process. There are four main ways to informally change the Constitution, which happen through Judicial Interpretation (Plessy v. Ferguson), Changing Political Practice (political parties), Technology (Internet effects hoe we select officials), and Increasing Demands on Poliymakers (demand for domestic policy). Examples of informal change are the two-party system, legal abortions, Senate and the House on television, and Electoral College bounding themselves to the choices of their state’s electorate.
One difference between the methods is the formal process actually changes the words in the Constitution, while the informal process does not.
Since 9/11, the Constitution has been transformed. The government can now search your property without a warrant. They also can monitor phone calls and e-mails between people inside and outside of the United States. The government can look at third party records (doctors, libraries, and bookstores).
If the Constitution was not a flexible document, there would not be the amendment process. In the Constitution, the framers provided a way to amend the document if it did not fit the way of the citizens. It can be changed when it is needed.
There are two ways in which the Constitution may be changed. There is the formal amending process and the informal amending process. In the formal process an amendment may be proposed either by a two-thirds vote in each house of Congress or by a national convention called by Congress with the request of two-thirds of the state legislatures. To be ratified an amendment may be ratified either by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states or by a special state convention that calls in three-fourths of the states.
ReplyDeleteAll amendments except the 21st has been proposed by Congress and ratified by the state legislatures. This amendment was ratified by special state conventions rather than by state legislatures. In the formal process the president has no formal role in amending the Constitution but he may influence things.
The Constitution can also be changed informally. It can be changed informally through judicial interpretation, through political practice, and as a result of changes in technology and changes in the demands on policymakers. Judicial review gives the courts the right to decide whether the actions of the legislative and executive branches of state and national governments are in accord with the Constitution. Judicial interpretation can affect how the Constitution is understood because the Constitution usually means what the Supreme Court says it means. In 1896 the Supreme Court decided the Constitution allowed racial discrimination despite the presence of the Fourteenth Amendment. Fifty eight years later it overruled itself and concluded that segregation by law violated the Constitution.
The current political practices also change the Constitution by stretching it, shaping it, and giving it a new meaning. Modern technology has spurred the development of a mass media. The development of electronic communications and atomic weapons has given the president’s role a lot more significance. This helps to change the Constitution. The significance of the presidency has also grown as a result of increased demands for new policies. The increased demands of domestic policy have positioned the president in a more prominent role in preparing the federal budget and a legislative program.
The formal and informal amending process is different because the formal requires an amendment to be ratified and the informal process does not.
A few days following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Congress passed a broad resolution authorizing him to use force against those nations, organizations, or persons that he alone determined were involved in the attacks. The president was asked to determine the identity of the enemy. After 9/11 the president was given a lot more power. The USA Patriot Act was passed which gave the executive branch broad new powers for the wiretapping, surveillance and investigation of terrorism suspects.
The Constitution is a flexible document. If it wasn’t flexible then it couldn’t be changed by adding amendments. Today we have 27 amendments. I believe that in the future more amendments will be added as our country continues to expand and grow.
Changing the Constitution consists of proposing an amendment, which is a change or addition to the Constitution. There are two possible ways to both propose and ratify an amendment.
ReplyDeleteAn amendment can be proposed by both chambers of Congress with a two-third vote in each. Another proposal form is Congress creating a special National Convention at the request of two-third vote in the states.
Following two forms of ratification; an amendment is then passed by three-fourths of the State Legislature or three-fourths of state conventions.
The president has no major role in amending the Constitution; however, he can influence the proposals.
The combination of Congress as proposal and State Legislatures have been used for every amendment adopted except the Twenty-first Amendment. The process in which Congress was used for proposal and State Conventions were used for ratification has been used only once for the Twenty-first Amendment, which repealed Prohibition.
The informal process consists of Judicial Interpretation, Changing Political Practice, Technology, and Increasing Demands on Policymakers. Judicial Interpretation deals with the Supreme Court speaking about what the Constitution states. (Marbury vs. Madison)
This power gives courts the right to decide whether the actions of legislature and executive branches of state and national governments are going along with the Constitution.
The difference between formal and informal process is simply that informal amendments, unlike formal amendments which change the written word of the Constitution, are changes not affecting the written document.
The constitution has been transformed as a result of the events on 9/11. It has concentrated additional power in the hands of the chief executive, who is designed to take the lead in foreign affairs. The war on terrorism has altered the balance of power in our constitutional system. If the government suspects a terrorist, they can, at any time search your house without a warrant. As well as tap your phone lines whenever they please.
The Constitution is a flexible document. One example is the amendment process. The Constitution has been changed a hand full of times following it’s ratification.
The United States Constitution can be changed by amending it. To amend the constitution you must go through two stages, proposing and ratifying it. You can do this in two ways, either formally or informally.
ReplyDeleteThe formal method is used when you want to amend the Constitution so that it’s meaning changes. When proposing amendments using the formal method each house of Congress must give it a 2/3 vote. The state legislature can also give it a 2/3 vote. The amendment can be ratified when the legislature gives it a 3/4 vote or the state gives it a 3/4 vote. The President has no role in amending the Constitution.
The informal method of changing the constitution doesn’t change the original meaning of the constitution. You can change the constitution in four different ways. Judicial interpretation can be used in some cases (Marbury v. Madison) when the Supreme Court is used to resolve differences in opinion concerning the constitution. Also, it can be changed by the political practices that are going on. Political parties and elections help to shape today’s government. In fact we have an electoral college that is used to help decide the president. Having an electoral college can help the majority feel more independent and wise. Technology is another part of changing the constitution informally, the media questions the government’s actions and helps shape the citizens opinions. Technology has also dramatically changed the way we select our elected officials. Increasing demands on policymakers have made the chief executives have more control. They are in charge of the federal budget and legislative program.
The events of 9/11 have caused the constitution to transform in many ways. During the days after 9/11 the president was granted a wider spectrum of control. The president had the power to use force on the people who caused the attacks. Six weeks after the terrorists attacks the executive branch was granted new powers. These powers included being able to tap phone lines and surveillance. The federal government was given the powers to inspect your private records that are held by a third party. These are just some ways the constitution had transformed after 9/11.
The constitution is a flexible document because it can be altered to fit a certain problem that is happening in America, while being constitutional. It also allowed the future generations to have power to change the documents to there needs.
The Constitution can be amended in either a formal or informal method. The formal method is developed in Article V of the Constitution. It details one of the two ways of amending the Constitution by focusing on the Congress. The informal method only changes its meaning, not its words. Many examples include the Congress, the courts, and the technology.
ReplyDeleteThe formal method involves two steps broken down further. The first step is referred to as the proposal stage. In this stage Congress can either propose an amendment by a two-thirds vote of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. In other words, the House needs two hundred and ninety people to vote for the amendment and at least sixty seven people of the Senate needs to agree.
Another way to propose an amendment is when Congress can create a national convention upon the request of two- thirds of the states. Once the amendment passes the two- thirds vote from each house or from the states, called upon by Congress, step two can now take place.
This step is referred to as the ratification stage. Here, one of two things can happen. Three-fourths of the state legislative can vote to ratify, or approve, the amendment. This method has been used twenty six times, in which at least thirty eight states approved of the proposed amendment. However, if thirteen states chose to decline the proposed amendment, it is done and over with; the proposed amendment is not made.
The other option after both houses agree with a two-thirds vote or with the request of two-thirds states is having three-fourths of the special convention vote to ratify the amendment. This technique has only been used one time for the twenty-first amendment; the repeal of the eighteenth amendment. Article V specifies the details of the formal method.
The informal method is broken down into four parts: political practices, proposed bills, judicial interpretation, and technology. Political parties have been developed quite early by the United States. These traditional parties include the republican and democratic party, formally known as the two party system. These parties choose the electors who then choose a person who represents the continent (twenty electors are represented in Ohio). The majority of the time, the electors agree and vote for the state’s popular vote.
Bills proposed by Congress during this time gave the president more power. Congress has passed ills expanding this power of the presidency due to 9-11. In this way the executive branch now has power to take actions when it comes to terrorist attacks or suspicions. The government could now tap your phone lines and search your house without a warrant if you are suspected of terrorist attacks. The national security is more firm and the freedom of speech is more limited.
During judicial interpretations, federal courts are able to interpret the Constitution. However, because not all federal courts interpret the Constitution the same way, it can have various meanings. For example, in 1896, the court case Plessy v. Feuguson, says that states could separate citizens by race and it would be considered “equal.” On the other hand, in the 1950s, the court case Brown v. Board, states that states could not segregate based on race.
The last example of informal methods is the technology. This changes the media because everyday something new happens. Technology changes the role of government and its connection to the people.
The Constitution is a flexible document. It has been changed and does not exactly go into details of the makeup of our government. Because the document was not carved in stone, the framers knew that the time will go on. They designed it to fit the needs of the people by amending it when it is needed.
On account of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the federal government has transformed the Constitution greatly. Congress has passes many new bills, one of which grants the President the power to choose the enemy and take action. Another bill passed by Congress states that the President has the power to arrest a “suspected” terrorist. Because of this bill, the federal government initially has the power to search your home without a feasible cause.
ReplyDeleteThe Constitution is a flexible document because it is constantly changing. Even though there have only been twenty-seven amendments to the Constitution since it was ratified, Congress is always passing bills. Although the Congress can informally change the Constitution, it is mostly for the benefit for the United States Population.
The Constitution can be changed by a formal or informal amendment change.
ReplyDeleteThe formal amendment change can be several ways. First the Congress purposes and amendment with 2/3 vote in each house. Secondly a National Convention purposes an amendment by 2/3 of the states. Then, in both cases, the amendment goes to the state legislatures and they can ratify the amendment by ¾ votes by the states, or a state convention is held where they can ratify the amendment by ¾ votes of the states. Congress purposing the amendment and the state legislatures ratifying it has been the case in all 27 amendments, excluding the 21 amendment and it went to the State Convention.
The informal amendment change could be several different ways, judicial interpretation, political practice, changes in technology, and changes in demands on policymakers. Judicial interpretation is interpretation of the Constitution by the Supreme Court, an example of this would be Brown v. Board of Education. Political practice is how the political parties and the presidential elections help to change the Constitution; an example would be the Electoral College. Changes in technology have helped increase media and how people find information, an example would be the bureaucracy has grown more important with computers and have been able to reach the public more. Changes in demands on policymakers are demands for new policies and an example would be increased demands of domestic policy which helped the president play a bigger role in preparing the federal budget.
The 9/11 attacks changed some parts of the Constitution. The president had become more powerful, because Congress wanted find out who was in charge of the attacks, they gave him power to use force against the nations, organizations, and people who he thought were involved. Also Congress gave the president the power to protect the United States against Iraq even if that meant going to war, which it did. The president was able to tap into peoples’ phones and email if he was thought they were communicating with terrorists aboard. The executive branch was able to go into someone’s house without a warrant.
The constitution is a flexible document because it is a “living document” changes can be made in the form of an amendment. The last amendment to be added to the Constitution was in 1992 but it changes all the time through informal changes.
The Constitution can be changed by formal and informal amendment processes. The formal method is first proposal the amendment. Secondly the amendment has to pass both chambers of congress with 2/3 vote in each. Then the ratification stage which the amendment has to be passed by ¾ of the states has to also pass it. Informal process consists of the Judicial Interpretation which means it’s passed onto the federal courts for the vote. Several ways the Constitution was changed informally was by Brown v. Board and also Marbury v. Madison. In Brown v. Board the courts ruled that separation in schools is unconstitutional and that it should be changed. In Marbury v. Madison it ruled that itself had the power to give courts the right to decide whether the actions of the legislature and executive branches and the national government are in agreement with the constitution. During 9/11 more power was given to the President during the events of 9/11. The government could tap your phone without telling you, and the President could declare war. And the chief executive took the lead in foreign trade. Finally the constitution is a flexible document because at any point and time the amendments can be changed or bent. In the 9th amendment it is the rights retained by the people. This gives you the power to own land, get married, go to school, have babies, anything that isn’t written in the constitution that is your given right when you are born into this world.
ReplyDeleteThe Constitution can be changed both formally and informally. Making a formal change to the Constitution consists of making and amendment. There are two stages to the process of making an amendment, proposal and ratification, and each of these stages has two possible routes of which the amendment may travel.
ReplyDeleteDuring the proposal stage, an amendment may be proposed after it has passed both chambers of Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in each chamber. However, an amendment may also be proposed by a national convention requested by two-thirds of the states. After proposal, an amendment must go through the ratification stage. State conventions may ratify an amendment with a three-fourths majority vote of all of the states. State legislatures may also ratify an amendment by a three-fourths majority vote of all of the states.
The most commonly used method of amending the Constitution is through the proposal by Congress and ratification through state legislatures. This method has been used for 26 of the 27 amendments. The less common method, having only been used once, is through proposal by Congress and ratification through state conventions.
An informal change to the Constitution differs from a formal change in that an informal change does not require amending the Constitution. The Constitution is changed informally though things such as judicial interpretation, changing political practice, technology, and the increasing demands on policymakers.
The Supreme Court has the ultimate say on what the Constitution means, but its ruling on different cases may change because the judicial interpretation of the Constitution may change. An example would be the cases of segregation. In the court case, Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court supported segregation of the races by law. However, in the court case, Brown v. The Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation was unconstitutional.
Political practice also changes the meaning of the Constitution. For example, the Constitution does not mention anything about political parties, but almost all politicians belong to either the Republican or Democratic Party and these parties play a major role in policymaking today. Technology has also changes the way the Constitution is viewed. Electronic communication and the development of atomic weapons have greatly increased the significance of the president’s role as commander in chief. Increasing demands on policymakers have also put more significance on the president’s powers. Since the U.S. became a global superpower in foreign affairs, more power was given to the president and more significance was placed on these powers because of his leading role in foreign affairs.
As a result of 9/11, the president has much more power and responsibility in dealing with terrorism especially. A few days after the tragedy, Congress passed a resolution giving the president authorization to use force against the groups he believed were involved in the attacks and asked him to identify the enemy. Congress also gave the president the power to decide if and when the U.S. would go to war, which the Constitution stated as a power given only to Congress.
The executive’s power was also expanded for wiretapping, surveillance, and the investigation of suspected terrorists by the USA Patriot Act. This act also allowed for searches of private property without probable cause and without prior notice to the owner. Overall, the war on terrorism has altered the balance of power in the government, making the executive branch much more powerful than it had ever been before.
The claim that the Constitution is a flexible document is entirely true. The Constitution can be changed by the government if needed, whether formally or informally. The framers did this on purpose so that the Constitution could change with the times without taking away personal freedoms and so the future generations could determine their own needs and change the Constitution to fit them.
The Constitution can be changed informally and formally. Changing the Constitution can be done during the proposal stage and then the ratification stage. There are two alternative ways that the proposed amendment can be processed and ratified. One way requires that during the proposal stage, Congress must approve the amendment by a two-thirds vote in each chamber. There is another way that an amendment can be proposed. A national convention can send on an amendment with a two-thirds vote of approval from the states. The most commonly used of these is going through Congress, but the national convention method has been used one time, which was for the 21st Amendment.
ReplyDeleteThe ratification stage can go two ways. The amendment can go towards the state legislatures and can be ratified by a vote of three-fourths of the states. The amendment can also go though state conventions. Each of the states would have debates on whether or not to support the amendment’s ratification. Three-fourths of the states must approve for the amendment to pass this stage of the amending process.
Informal changes to the Constitution differ from formal changes because the informal changes are not written in the Constitution. Legal abortion and government tax spending are examples of informal changes. Changing the Constitution informally requires judicial interpretation, specifically the decisions of the Supreme Court. In the famous court case Marbury v. Madison in 1803, the Supreme Court decided that the power of judicial review was their own. The Supreme Court decided that the Constitution allowed the segregation of races, and even supported this idea in Plessy v. Ferguson, which not written in the Constitution. Later the Court changed their mind in Brown v. The Board of Education. The Supreme Court decided that segregation by race was unconstitutional.
Political practices such as political parties and the role of the Electoral College are also informal Constitutional changes. Modern technology advances change the way voters have a look on politics. People can watch debates on television, or look at websites for political information. Foreign policies and relations have been increasing since the Constitution was even written, which none are a formal amendment in our supreme law.
As a result of the 9/11 attacks, the president overall had more power when it comes to preventing more terrorist actions. A few days following the attacks, the president was given the authority to be able to use force against organizations, nations or persons that the president determined who was involved in those attacks. The in October 2002, Congress passed yet another resolution that allows the president to use “all means necessary and appropriate” which does include the military, to defend America against Iraq and use U.N. resolutions regarding Iraq. This broad ended up granting the authority to George Bush to invade Iraq in March of 2003. Bush also interpreted this resolution as authorizing the order of the National Security Agency to secretly monitor the international e-mails and phone calls that might be talking to terrorists abroad. Only six weeks after the 9/11 attacks, Congress passed the USA Patriot Act, which gave the executive branch brand new powers on wiretapping, surveillance and investigation of terrorism suspects.
The Constitution is considered a flexible document because the government that the framers created a government that could adapt to the time’s needs without sacrificing any of the personal freedoms of the people. The flexibility has ensured that Constitution, and the nation will survive for an extremely long time.
The Constitution can be changed through the formal method, and the informal method. In the proposal stage of the formal method, Congress can propose an amendment with a two thirds vote in each chamber of congress. Then during the ratification stage of the formal method, three-fourths of the state legislators must vote for the amendment, or three-fourths of the state special convention to ratify the amendment. Also, Congress can also create a national convention upon request of two-thirds of the states. This method involves actually correcting what the Constitution says, and adding new things to the document.
ReplyDeleteThere are four ways in which the Constitution can be changed informally. Political practice is the first way; an example of this would be political parties. Another way would be through bill passed by Congress, such as laws giving the president more power. Judicial interpretations have also been used in changing the Constitution, and important example of this would in the Plessy v. Ferguson case, and later on in the Brown v. Board of Education. The last way to change the constitution is through technology, an example of this would be television broadcasts, and Internet news stories. The informal method of changing the Constitution involves changing the meaning of the document.
The 9/11 terrorist attacks have changed the Constitution because Congress passed laws authorizing the President to use force against the nations, organizations, or persons that he alone determined were involved in the attacks, and this decision served as the legal basis for the war in Afghanistan in 2002. Also in October 2002, Congress passed a law giving the President the right to use “all means necessary and appropriate” which could include military force to defend the US. Al so the President gained the authority to order the National Security Agency to secretly monitor the international phone calls and e-mail messages of people inside the US who might be communicating with terrorists abroad. All of these have changed the Constitution by granting the President more power than he originally had when the Constitution was signed.
The Constitution is a flexible document because it does not detail the structure, or function, of the National government. Also the Constitution does not set up a judiciary, it just tells Congress to create a court system as it see fit. Also, the Constitution left the number of justices and qualifications up to Congress. The Constitution was meant to adapt to change, that’s how the framers envisioned it. This flexibility has helped ensure the documents, and our nations, survival.
The United States Constitution can be changed by amending it. To amend the constitution you must go through two stages, proposing and ratifying it. You can do this in two ways, either formally or informally.
ReplyDeleteThe formal method is used when you want to amend the Constitution so that it’s meaning changes. When proposing amendments using the formal method each house of Congress must give it a 2/3 vote. The state legislature can also give it a 2/3 vote. The amendment can be ratified when the legislature gives it a 3/4 vote or the state gives it a 3/4 vote. The President has no role in amending the Constitution.
The informal method of changing the constitution doesn’t change the original meaning of the constitution. You can change the constitution in four different ways. Judicial interpretation can be used in some cases (Marbury v. Madison) when the Supreme Court is used to resolve differences in opinion concerning the constitution. Also, it can be changed by the political practices that are going on. Political parties and elections help to shape today’s government. In fact we have an electoral college that is used to help decide the president. Having an electoral college can help the majority feel more independent and wise. Technology is another part of changing the constitution informally, the media questions the government’s actions and helps shape the citizens opinions. Technology has also dramatically changed the way we select our elected officials. Increasing demands on policymakers have made the chief executives have more control. They are in charge of the federal budget and legislative program.
The events of 9/11 have caused the constitution to transform in many ways. During the days after 9/11 the president was granted a wider spectrum of control. The president had the power to use force on the people who caused the attacks. Six weeks after the terrorists attacks the executive branch was granted new powers. These powers included being able to tap phone lines and surveillance. The federal government was given the powers to inspect your private records that are held by a third party. These are just some ways the constitution had transformed after 9/11.
The constitution is a flexible document because it can be altered to fit a certain problem that is happening in America, while being constitutional. It also allowed the future generations to have power to change the documents to there needs.