Since our Constitutional conservative friends seem to lack a basic under standing of what's in the United States Constitution I decided to simplify it into mere bullet points. I grouped together powers by finance, defense, and nation-building, and rights for states, rights for citizens, rights for people, and judicial rights, regardless of their order in the Constitution and its subsequent amendments. Note, I kept the list to powers, limitations, and rights and skipped all the procedural stuff (I think even the tea baggers know we elect Representatives every 2 year and Senators every 6).
I tried to use the original language where it was in clear English, but some terms like "Letters of Marque" (state authorized piracy) and "Ex Post Facto", would just not be clear to the average reader.
Feedback is welcome, if you think I oversimplified, undersimplified, posted incorrect information, or grouped stuff incorrectly let me know in the comments.
Purpose of the Federal Government:
- establish justice
- insure domestic tranquility
- provide for the common defence
- promote the general welfare
- secure liberty for us, our children, and their children
Legislative powers:
- The House has the power of impeachment and is the source of appropriations bills.
- The Senate has the sole power to try all impeachments, approve treaties, ambassadors, cabinet members, judges, and other high ranking officials.
The Congress has the power to regulate business and finance:
- lay and collect taxes, income taxes, tariffs, duties, and fees
- pay our debts
- borrow money
- issue money
- provide for the punishment of counterfeiting
- regulate bankruptcy
- regulate interstate commerce
The Congress has the power to provide for our common defense:
- establish a military call forth militias
- declare war
- define the rules of war
- define maritime & international laws
The Congress has the power to bind us as a nation:
- admit new states
- build roads
- create a system of courts
- establish post offices
- fix the standard of weights and measures
- manage Federal lands
- promote art & science
- protect intellectual property
- provide for the general welfare
- regulate immigration and naturalization
No Government, Federal, state, or local may:
- establish a religion
- quarter soldiers in personal homes
- search people,papers, or homes without warrants or probable cause
- pass retroactive laws
- punish without trial
- place an export duty
- grants titles of nobility
- search people,papers, or homes without warrants or probable cause
- deprive someone of due process
- pass a law that abridges any rights
- require payment to vote
- deny any person equal protection of the law
Congress may not:
- suspend habeas corpus except in case of rebellion or invasion
- favor one state over another
- collect a direct tax except for an income tax
- enact a pay raise before an election has intervened
The President shall:
- take care that our laws are faithfully executed
- be commander in chief of the military
- manage the executive departments
- grant reprieves and pardons
- make treaties
- receive foreign dignitaries
- appoint ambassadors, cabinet members, judges, and other high ranking officials
The Supreme Court shall be:
- the originating court in case regarding ambassadors, cabinet members, and states
- the final court of appeal
Rights guaranteed the states:
- protection from invasion and domestic violence
- any power not enumerated above or below [vague]
- sovereign immunity
- (the right to regulate intrastate commerce is implied)
States must:
- give full faith and credit to the laws of the other states
States may not:
- sign treaties
- authorize piracy
- issue money
- retroactively impair contract rights
- collect tariffs
- keep a military
- engage in war
Rights guaranteed to citizens in all states (and D.C.):
- republican Government
- vote upon reaching 18, regardless of sex or race, unless denied by due process
- citizenship if born in the United States
- elect all legislators unless you live in the district of columbia or have been denied by due process
- elect a President, unless denied by due process
Rights guaranteed to all people:
- equal rights for all people, regardless of status, sex, race, etc.
- freedom of speech, expression, and the press
- freedom of religion and conscience
- right to assemble and petition the Government
- right to bear arms
- compensation when property is taken for public use
- any right not enumerated in the constitution
Rights guaranteed to people in judicial proceedings:
- due process of law
- freedom from unlawful detention
- speedy trial
- public trial
- trial by jury
- be informed of all charges
- grand jury indictment for infamous or capital crimes
- have a lawyer
- face accusers
- compel favorable witnesses
- right to avoid self-incrimination
- avoid excessive bail, fines, or cruel and unusual punishments
- freedom from being charged with the same crime twice
Crimes defined in the constitution:
- treason: waging war against america or giving aid and comfort to our enemies
- slavery or involuntary servitude
- transporting or possessing intoxicating liquors in violation of local law