U.S. Constitution Archives

Why DC Statehood Is So Difficult to Achieve

For years, activists had been working hard to admit Washington, D.C., as a state. The federal district, which lacks representation in Congress, contains more people than Wyoming and Vermont, and activists had insisted for years that leaving D.C. in a democratic limbo-land meant that over 700,000 Americans were not appropriately getting their voices heard in Congress.

SCOTUS: Guaranteeing Criminal Rights (Miranda v. Arizona)

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in court. You have the right to talk to a lawyer for advice before we ask you any questions. You have the right to have a lawyer with you during questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed for you before any questioning if you wish. If you decide to answer questions now without a lawyer present, you have the right to stop answering at any time.”

This is the now-famous “Miranda warning,” dramatized in movies, which must be read off to all people in police custody to alert them of their rights. Miranda warnings were derived from the landmark Supreme Court case ruling of Miranda v. Arizona in 1966, which required police to advise suspects of their rights, especially the right to remain silent.

SCOTUS: Protecting Press Freedom (New York Times v. US)

One of the most significant Supreme Court decisions was the case of New York Times Co. v. United States (1971), now also known as the Pentagon Papers Case. This case, which concerned whether it was legal for The New York Times to publish the then-classified Pentagon Papers, saw the Supreme Court defend the First Amendment-guaranteed right of a free press against prior restraint by the government.

The Constitutional Amendments Explained

Since the United States Constitution was ratified in 1789, twenty-seven amendments have been made to the Constitution. It is very important to know these amendments in order to understand the current government. The first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights and were ratified along with the Constitution. The Bill of Rights lists all the rights of people living in the United States. Here are all of the amendments summarized.

The Bill of Rights

The US Constitution Explained

The United States Constitution, ratified in 1788 and effective in 1789, is the supreme law of the United States. It comprises seven articles, detailing the framework of the federal government and establishes the structure of the U.S. Government, such as laying out the three branches of government: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. It also comprises 27 amendments, most of which detail the rights of the people in the U.S. Understanding the Constitution is essential to understanding the structure of the government and understanding how it works. So, in today’s post, we will look at the seven articles that make up the Constitution.