Constitutional FAQ Answer #140 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q140. “I heard on talk radio that Bill Clinton was planning to figure out a way to be President again. Is there any possible way this could happen?” A. The short answer is “No.” But because this…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #14 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q14. “I think that the right of eighteen-year-olds to vote must be repealed. Do you know anywhere I can find some information that would help me?” A. What is the basis of your argument? Personally, I don’t…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #139 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q139. “Why can’t I find anything about filibusters in the Constitution?” A. The short answer is because there is nothing there to find: the Constitution does not contemplate the filibuster in any way, directly or indirectly. So,…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #138 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q138. “In what instances is a ‘Supermajority’ required under the US Constitution?” A. The specific instances in which the US Constitution requires a super-majority are limited to: Convicting an Impeachment (2/3 majority in the Senate — Article…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #137 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q137. “I recently had a debate with a friend of mine. The question was what is required to repeal an Amendment to the Constitution. I told him I thought it would take two-thirds approval of the House…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #136 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q136. “Can the US declare war in order to free the people of the country? I heard this once but I don’t know if its true, or if it was what document did it came out of.”…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #135 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q135. “It was my understanding that the Constitution forbade its president to be a Roman Catholic, but after many years this was deleted because it was later deemed to be ‘politically incorrect’. Is this true?” A. There…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #134 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q134. “Is there anything in the Constitution, Bill Of Rights or any Amendment that adds to discrimination due to race, color, or creed? I thought that ‘Sexual Preference’ was added, but I am told that I am…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #133 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q133. “Please tell me if there is any mention of GOD or LORD or CHRIST anywhere in the US constitution.” A. There is no direct mention of God in the Constitution, except in the formation of the…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #132 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q132. “I have a friend who is taking an American Government course presently. The professor told the class this past week that the U.S. Constitution was plagiarized completely. Is there any validity to this charge?” A. The…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #131 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q131. “Does anyone know how many officially declared wars we had throughout history?” A. Not as many as you might think. The United States has been involved in a great many military actions, but only a very…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #130 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q130. “I know the state of California recently did a recall election on their governor. Can recalls be done against any elected officials?” A. The recallability of any state or local elected official is subject to the…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #13 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q13. “I believe that gambling should be legalized in every form. Do you think that the ninth amendment of the constitution supports this claim, and why?” A. Is your argument that just because the right to gamble…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #129 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q129. “Does anyone know the exact dimensions of the Constitution?” A. According to the National Archives, where the Constitution is housed, each of the four pages is 28 3/4 inches by 23 5/8 inches. |Home| |Constitution| |FAQ|…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #128 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q128. “Does the Constitution set any requirements for potential cabinet members, such as age or residency?” A. A scan of the Constitution itself reveals that there is nothing therein that addresses the qualifications for members of the…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #127 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q127. “Can a president be impeached during a war?” A. Looking at the Constitution, there are several places where impeachment and war are mentioned (impeachment in Article 1, Sections 2 and 3, Article 2, Sections 2 and…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #126 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q126. “Was George Washington the first President of the United States?” A. This is a question that is commonly asked of students in high school – the answer seems obvious — yes, of course George Washington was…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #125 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q125. “On the Checks and Balances Page, it says that a legislative check on the legislature is that only the House can originate revenue bills. I’ve been told that only the House can originate spending bills, too…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #124 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q124. “If a proposed amendment violates the Constitution, should the Supreme Court be able to block its ratification?” A. With only one exception, an amendment to the Constitution cannot, by definition, violate the Constitution. Think it through:…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #123 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q123. “Are civil rights and civil liberties the same thing?” A. They are used interchangeably and often mean the same thing. Certainly they do colloquially. More specifically, though, civil rights are thought to be those actions of…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #122 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q122. “I have been told that there is a section of the Constitution that talks about dividing existing states and how it cannot happen. Can you help me find this article?” A. Article 4, Section 3 deals…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #121 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q121. “What if the President and Vice President die and the succession goes to a person who is an American citizen but not by birth. Is this possible?” A. It is possible that this scenario can happen,…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #120 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q120. “Since it is true that the president must be a naturally born citizen, does the vice president also have to be a naturally born citizen?” A. The Vice President has the same qualifications as the President…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #12 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q12. “Can Congress set up an ethics committee to separate hard journalism from tabloid journalism?” A. I’m certain that such a proposal would A) never pass and B) would be declared unconstitutional immediately (assuming it had any…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #119 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q119. “‘Lost Cause’ revisionists claim that the Fourteenth Amendment was a hatchet-job, illegally passed, and, therefore, quite unconstitutional. Can you help me answer this charge?” A. Lots of people, for whatever reason (Lost Cause supporters or not)…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #118 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q118. “I remember reading that if the citizens are unhappy with the way the Government is running the country they can choose to, I don’t know how to put it but, basically remove all members & then…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #117 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q117. “How did the President’s Cabinet get its name?” A. Like many parts of the American political system, the idea of a cabinet was borrowed from Great Britain. Hundreds of years ago, the word cabinet referred to…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #116 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q116. “I am wondering who actually was the first to sign the Constitution and when was it signed?” A. The answer to the second question can be found quite easily by checking the Constitution itself. The answer…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #115 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q115. “What is the impeachment process?” A. The Constitution details impeachment in Article 1, Section 2, Article 1, Section 3, Article 2, Section 3, and Article 3, Section 2. The word “details,” however, is a bit strong…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #114 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q114. “I always thought that treason was the only crime defined in the Constitution, but a friend of mine insists it is not, though he refuses to say what the others are. Can you help?” A. Sounds…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #113 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q113. “What is the right to privacy and where can I find it in the Constitution?” A. The right to privacy is not a part of the Constitution, at least not in so many words. The right…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #112 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q112. “If titles of nobility are prohibited by the constitution, why then does the U.S. Supreme Court bestow the title of ‘honorable’ to the judges that at seated there? For that matter, why do we refer to…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #111 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q111. “OK, I read the answer to Question 25 but I’m confused because of all the talk of military tribunals and loss of rights for terrorists caught in Afghanistan. What’s the deal?” A. Your question is a…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #110 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q110. “Does the President have the authority to cancel the 1972 ABM treaty without the advise and consent of the senate? The power is given to the President to make treaties with the advise and consent of…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #11 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q11. “Can tabloids be restricted constitutionally? I don’t mean censor, but can government label tabloids as they label records with explicit lyrics?” A. First, it should be clarified that the government does not rate movies, nor does…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #109 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q109. “Why did Rhode Island not send delegates to the Constitutional Convention?” A. Rhode Island was afraid that any new system proposed by the convention would be detrimental to its economy. Rhode Island issued lots of paper…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #108 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q108. “Who has the power to declare war?” A. There is a short answer and a much longer answer. The short answer is that the Constitution clearly grants the Congress the power to declare war, in Article…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #107 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q107. “Where does the C.I.A. get their power and authority?” A. The CIA, and a whole host of other government agencies, fall under the Executive Branch. Their power, then, comes from the power of the President. The…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #106 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q106. “I am unaware of the status of the Articles of Confederation, but for the sake of argument, if my some outside chance Canada formally asked to become part of the union, would the United States have…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #105 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q105. “My local newspaper had an educational page about voting that showed all the things that had been decided by one vote. For example, it said that German was almost the official language of the U.S., losing…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #104 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q104. “On what day does the electoral college meet to cast their votes? I have heard early January, but I have also heard December.” A. By law it is in December: “The electors … shall meet and…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #103 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q103. “I have heard that the U.S. Constitution is based on a document called the ‘Iroquois Confederation’. Is this true, and if so what parts of the Constitution came from this document?” A. The U.S. Constitution is…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #102 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q102. “Much controversy is being made over the First Amendment and religion especially in recent years. Were all the men who wrote and signed the Constitution and the Bill of Rights Christians? If not what other religions…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #101 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q101. “Exactly where in the Constitution does it say that the President and Vice President cannot be from the same state? In the 12th amendment the wording leads me to think that the electors and the candidates…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #100 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q100. “Recently, I read in my Constitutional Law textbook, that two framers of the Constitution served as Supreme Court chief justices. However, my professor and I could only recall one, John Rutledge. Who was the second framer…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #10 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q10. “I need to know how many articles and amendments are related to economics in the Constitution?” A. Depends on what you mean by economics. The Constitution doesn’t say, for example, that the budget needs to be…

Constitutional FAQ Answer #1 <<Previous Question | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q1. “…a friend of mine, another college student at a different university, is a political science major. He was told by several ‘reliable sources’ that voters under the age of 21 do not actually vote for the…

Constitutional FAQ (Constitution Order) Advertisement The U.S. Constitution On-Line has been online in one form or another since 1995. In that time, I have have had a lot of questions asked of me about the Constitution. This page, and the ones it links to, are a compilation of the best of those questions. This page…

Answers From the FAQ, Page 9 This page is one of the answer pages for the USConstitution.net’s Constitutional FAQ. There have been so many questions and answers over the years, that it was best to split them among several files. If you’re looking for the question list, you can find it in three places. First,…

Answers From the FAQ, Page 8 This page is one of the answer pages for the USConstitution.net’s Constitutional FAQ. There have been so many questions and answers over the years, that it was best to split them among several files. If you’re looking for the question list, you can find it in three places. First,…

Answers From the FAQ, Page 7 This page is one of the answer pages for the USConstitution.net’s Constitutional FAQ. There have been so many questions and answers over the years, that it was best to split them among several files. If you’re looking for the question list, you can find it in three places. First,…

Answers From the FAQ, Page 6 This page is one of the answer pages for the USConstitution.net’s Constitutional FAQ. There have been so many questions and answers over the years, that it was best to split them among several files. If you’re looking for the question list, you can find it in three places. First,…

Answers From the FAQ, Page 5 This page is one of the answer pages for the USConstitution.net’s Constitutional FAQ. There have been so many questions and answers over the years, that it was best to split them among several files. If you’re looking for the question list, you can find it in three places. First,…

Answers From the FAQ, Page 4 This page is one of the answer pages for the USConstitution.net’s Constitutional FAQ. There have been so many questions and answers over the years, that it was best to split them among several files. If you’re looking for the question list, you can find it in three places. First,…

Answers From the FAQ, Page 3 This page is one of the answer pages for the USConstitution.net’s Constitutional FAQ. There have been so many questions and answers over the years, that it was best to split them among several files. If you’re looking for the question list, you can find it in three places. First,…

Answers From the FAQ, Page 2 This page is one of the answer pages for the USConstitution.net’s Constitutional FAQ. There have been so many questions and answers over the years, that it was best to split them among several files. If you’re looking for the question list, you can find it in three places. First,…

Answers From the FAQ, Page 1 This page is one of the answer pages for the USConstitution.net’s Constitutional FAQ. There have been so many questions and answers over the years, that it was best to split them among several files. If you’re looking for the question list, you can find it in three places. First,…

The U.S. Constitution FAQ Advertisement The U.S. Constitution On-Line has been online in one form or another since 1995. In that time, I have have had a lot of questions asked of me about the Constitution. This page, and the ones it links to, are a compilation of the best of those questions. This page…