An Overview of Facts About the U.S. Constitution

An Overview of Facts About the U.S. Constitution The U.S. Constitution was written at the Philadelphia Convention, also known as the Constitutional Convention, and signed on September 17, 1787. It was ratified in 1789. The document established our nations fundamental laws and government structures and ensured basic rights for American citizens.   Preamble The preamble to the Constitution alone is one of the most important pieces of writing in American history. It sets up the basic principles of our democracy, and introduces the concept of federalism. It reads:   We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Quick Facts The nickname for the U.S. Constitution is Bundle of Compromises.The Chief Draftsmen of the U.S. Constitution is  James Madison and Gouverneur Morris.The ratification of the U.S. Constitution happened in 1789 with the agreement of 9 out of 13 states. Eventually, all 13 would ratify the US Constitution. Overall Structure of the U.S. Constitution There are seven articles followed by 27 amendments.  The first 10 amendments are known as the Bill of Rights.The U.S. Constitution is currently considered the shortest governing document of any nation.The U.S. Constitution was organized secretly, behind locked doors that were guarded by sentries. Key Principles Separation of Powers:  An act of vesting the legislative, executive, and judicial powers of government in separate bodies.Checks and Balances:  Counterbalancing influences by which an organization or system is regulated, typically those ensuring that political power is not concentrated in the hands of individuals or groups.Federalism:  Federalism is the sharing of power between national and state governments. In America, the states existed first and they had the challenge of creating a national government. Ways to Amend the U.S. Constitution Proposal by convention of states, ratification by state conventions (never used)Proposal by convention of states, ratification by state legislatures (never used)Proposal by Congress, ratification by state conventions (used once)Proposal by Congress, ratification by state legislatures (used all other times) Proposing and Ratifying Amendments To propose an amendment, two-thirds of both houses of Congress vote to propose and amendment. Another way is to have two-thirds  of the state legislatures ask Congress to call a national convention.To ratify an amendment, three-fourths of the state legislatures approve it. The second way is for three-fourths of ratifying conventions in states approve it. Interesting Constitutional Facts Only 12 of the 13 original states actually took part in writing the US Constitution.Rhode Island did not attend the Constitutional Convention, though they eventually were the last state to ratify the document in year 1790.Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania was the oldest delegate at the Constitutional Convention at the age of 81-years-old. Jonathon Dayton of New Jersey was the youngest in attendance at just 26-years-old.Over 11,000 amendments have been introduced in Congress. Only 27 have been ratified.  The Constitution contains several misspellings, including the misspelling of Pennsylvania as Pensylvania.

Diet Pills essays

Diet Pills essays SPECIFIC PURPOSE: The specific purpose is to persuade the audience not to use diet pills that contain ephedrine because of the adverse health problems that it causes. THESIS: Ephedrine is a great supplement for losing weight but the side effects caused by taking ephedrine are not worth the weight loss. I. Today, I am going to warn you about the consequences of taking diet pills containing ephedrine. Ephedrine is the active ingredients found in popular diet pills, over the counter decongestants, allergy medications, herbal energy boosters, and asthma remedies. In a study conducted by researchers at the University of San Francisco and California Poison Control System, of the adverse events reported form the use of ephedrine, 47% involved cardiovascular symptoms, while 18% involved the central nervous system. Hypertension was the single most frequent adverse reaction, followed by tachycardia, stroke and seizures. In total, the FDA has reported over 40 deaths and over 800 serious side effects linked to ephedrine. As an over the counter herbal supplements, the FDA does not regulate ephedrine. The FDA received testimonies of over 800 adverse events associated with the use of the diet supplement that contained ephedrine (Smith, 4). II. Ephedrine is a great supplement for loosing weight; however the risks that are involved with ephedrine are not worth the weight loss. III. We will examine the risk and effects that one takes by taking ephedrine and some ways to prevent and treat these effects. (First, let me tell you what ephedrine is.) I. Originating from the ephedrine plant, ephedrine has been advertised as a time-tested Chinese herb (ma huang) that will relieve asthma and allergy symptoms, as well as enhance athletic performance an ...

The cultural context Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The cultural context - Essay Example Overview: Topdog/Underdog is a story about two Afro-American brothers in their 30’s racing with life, with each other and with themselves. They were named as Lincoln and Booth by their alcoholic and adulterous father as a practical joke. They were both abandoned by their parents at their early age, thus, they struggled through life with each other’s companion and help. The older brother Lincoln, who was just kicked-out by his ex-wife from their house, lived together with his younger brother Booth in a shabby, lowly and dilapidated boarding house room. He continuously reminisce his past life where he was at his prime with his wife and with a blooming career as a card expert on a con game of three-card monte. He gave up his natural skills and career with cards after he witnessed the death of his street partner. He just settled for a dry and monotonous career posing as President Abraham Lincoln reenacting the final hours of his life. Customers came and shoot him with a cap gun. Because he’s black, he’s supposed to wear a white-face make-up and dress up like the president. Booth on the other hand is an ambitious, impulsive, impatient and arrogant guy. He wanted to gain fortune in an instant, thus, he practiced his brother’s skill in three-card monte quite religiously. ... All throughout the play, the dialogues exchanged by the two brothers reveal their competition with each other. They thrive to control one another where at a given moment one successfully gained control over the other only to have the situation reversed at another moment. They encourage, insult, tease and support each other. The brother’s heavy dialogues reveal the characteristics of the two as misguided, impoverished and illusory yet in all essence showcase very human realities. The play ended quite explosively where the younger brother Booth pulled the trigger against his older brother Lincoln. It was a violent scene but remarked by the play writer as very significant. Their names may have predestined their fate but the play writer has something deeper in the sense of the whole play. There are a lot impacts that the play has touched both in the historical, social, racial and cultural context. Impact of Topdog/Underdog: Topdog/Underdog is a story of life. It reveals the harsh reality of life with a touch of humor. The brothers’ characters are able to captivate the audience with their humor, insults, encouragement and other emotions trailed on the many heavy dialogues exchanged with one another. The story reveals the reality of life as a dog-eat-dog world. It is a story relative to the many stories that have been known throughout history where the race between two fraternal rivals is showcased. There have been many stories about it such as Cain and Abel or Remus and Romulus (Bradford). The two brothers are racing against life. Their dreams in contrast with the real outcome happening in their lives are just but shadows of what is really happening in this harsh world. In fact, the scenarios revealed in their dialogues are just but human and very normal events