Unit 2: Constitution Scavenger Hunt

Elected Representatives

• Representatives are elected every 2 years.
• A person must be at least 25 years old to serve as a Representative.

Senators

• Senators serve a term of 6 years.
• Originally, Senators were chosen by state legislatures, a process changed by the 17th Amendment.
• To become a Senator, one must be at least 30 years old.

Senate Leadership

• The Vice President acts as the President of the Senate and votes only in case of a tie.

Impeachment Process

• The House of Representatives has the power to impeach officials, while the Senate conducts trials.
• The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presides over impeachment trials of the President.
• A 2/3 (66 out of 100) vote is required to convict an impeached official.
• The only penalty for impeachment is removal from office and prohibition from holding a federal position.

Election Administration

• State legislatures determine the timing and manner of Congressional elections.
• All tax-related bills must originate in the House of Representatives.

Legislative Powers

• A two-thirds majority vote is needed in both houses to override a presidential veto.
• If a President doesn't return a bill within 10 days, it automatically becomes law unless Congress adjourns, in which case the bill dies.
• Congress has several powers, including taxation, borrowing money, maintaining a navy, declaring war, and establishing courts.

Limitations on Congress

• Limitations include the Writ of Habeas Corpus, Bills of Attainder, and Ex Post Facto laws, protecting individual rights.

Presidential Qualifications and Powers

• A President must be at least 35 years old.
• The number of electoral votes per state equals its total number of Senators and Representatives.
• Key powers of the President include serving as Commander in Chief, negotiating treaties, and granting pardons.

Senate Approval

• The Senate must approve treaties negotiated by the President by a 2/3 vote.
• Presidential nominations must also be approved by the Senate with a 2/3 majority.

Presidential Appointments

• The President can appoint officials without additional approval when Congress is not in session.

Grounds for Impeachment

• Presidents and other officials can be impeached for bribery, treason, or high crimes and misdemeanors.

Supreme Court Justices

• Justices serve for life and can be removed for bad behavior or treason.

Federal Judicial System

• Congress decides the number of federal courts.
• The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in cases involving ambassadors and high officials.

Treason Definition

• Conviction of treason requires testimony from at least two witnesses.

State Relations

• States must respect each other's laws and court decisions, adhering to the Privileges and Immunities Clause, which ensures equal treatment for citizens among states.

Admission of New States

• Congress holds the power to admit new states into the Union.

Amendment Process

• A proposed amendment requires approval from 3/4 of both houses of Congress.
• Two-thirds of states must ratify a proposed amendment for it to be valid.

Limitation on Amendments

• The Constitution prohibits amendments that ban slave trade before 1808.

Supremacy Clause

• The Constitution is the "supreme law of the land," resolving conflicts between federal and state laws.

Public Office Qualification

• No religious test is allowed as a qualification for public office.