... derive from the consent of the people. 2. The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, 1639, was the first written constitution. 3. The Massachusetts Body of Liberties, 1641, was the first constitution to include protection of individual rights. 4. The Pennsylvania Charter of Privileges, 1701, contained a constitution and bill of rights and offered a precedent and rationale for our national Constitution. 5. The ... ; decorating war heroes, hosting visiting chiefs of state, telephoning sports and space heroes, dedicating parks. 2. Chief executive: execute the laws. The president makes appointme...

• Word Count: 1091
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... leaving what could be a very leading testimony. In 1965 the Supreme Court was mostly concerned with preventing hearsay and making sure all witnesses were cross- examined when it came to the right of confrontation. In Pointer vs. Texas the complaining witness had testified in a preliminary hearing, where he was not cross-examined. When the trial date came the ... O'Connor, J., joined by Rehnquist, said that, "it was held that the confrontation clause did not absolutely prohibit the child witnesses from testifying through the statutory procedure, because (1) face-to-face confrontation wi...

• Word Count: 1115
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... record, which, however, was too often marred by unprincipled agents, both military and civilian, in the local offices. Its efforts toward establishing the freed blacks as landowners were nil. To a great degree the bureau operated as a political machine, organizing the black vote for the Republican party; its political activities made it thoroughly hated in the South. When, under ... property. The 1866 act was of dubious constitutionality and was re-enacted in 1870 only after the passage of the Fourteenth Amendment. The fourth Civil Rights Act attempted to guarantee to the African Americ...

• Word Count: 1793
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... of actor Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Governor of California, much attention and debate has been brought to the forefront of people's minds. Should a person bron in another country be able to move to America and eventually become the "most powerful person in the world"? I strongly believe the answer to this question is no. In the article written by Dan Thomasson, he argues that many ... of the greatest minds in politics have been foreign-born. He believes that our nation is suffering as a whole by not giving these people the chance to run for the presidency. He argues that the constitut...

• Word Count: 257
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

On Patriotism and What It Means To Me While patriotism in its truest sense is only a minor evil, in America it has been blown out of proportion into an incredible engine of tyranny ... forces of the United States . . . shall be punished by a fine of $10,000 or imprisonment of twenty years, or both." Worse and more damaging an emotion to our rights then blind acceptance though is apathy. If one just lies back while the government runs it own course under the umbrella excuse of patriotism, I believe, we the ... One with a three-pronged attack of the judicial, executive, and legislative branche...

• Word Count: 303
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... issue of hate speech on university campuses nation wide. The phenomenon of hate speech is at a much larger scale then the reader would realize, but it is not a simple task to eliminate hate speech from the University campus. If the process is not done correctly in might violate the Free Speech act of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Universities that ... are funded by the government don't have the problem of hate speech to the extent that private institutions do. Because of that the author proposes steps that such institution have to take if they want to deal appropriately ...

• Word Count: 286
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... money, so wouldn't it be obvious that they would control the elite group that is running our whole country? There is no way for us to be heard. Obviously, there are many flaws in the constitution that the Federalists have proposed, and we can not risk mistakes in the serious business ... of forming our government. While the constitution gives power to the Central government, it has no guarantee that our rights will not be violated! What is the Central government's limits? The power that is ... fact that the Constitutional Conventions have been meeting privately causes suspicions. What e...

• Word Count: 369
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... Our judicial system is not perfect. There are many problems with it and people are constantly complaining about everything from a parking ticket to the death penalty. Many different people can make a mistake during each stage of the judicial system. Some Americans feel that convicted criminals are ... while being imprisoned. They feel that the accused are treated unfairly while being questioned. They believe that many people who confess are basically forced to confess, whether with or without force. Many of the people who hold this view point are either defense attorneys or people who ar...

• Word Count: 578
• Approx Pages: 2
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... these are not simple bail outs that are in the hundreds of thousands or even the millions, but are in fact in the billions. In fact the amount to bail out the current crisis of Wall Street is around $700 billion. With this country already in a great deal of debt, the fact that it is ... taking on more, is of great concern. However, what people need to see is that in the short term the federal government is taking on a large debt, but in the long run they could actually be gaining a large sum. What ... more stable economy at a profit. It really isn't a bad idea on the U.S.'s part when you...

• Word Count: 519
• Approx Pages: 2
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... was McCulloch v. Maryland in 1819. This case upheld the powers of the federal government. It also denied the states the right to tax the bank. This allowed later cases to uphold the expansive powers of the federal government. The other case was Gibbons v. Ogden in 1824, this ruling upheld broad ... this era, there was heated political debate on the issue of slavery. The Dred Scott v. Sanford decision in 1857, this was the first decision to take powers away from the national government. During this era, the Civil War occurred. Dual federalism lasted until the 1930s. After dual federalism ...

• Word Count: 631
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... the constitution and one of the fore fathers of the United States of America. Equal right, for all man, was not seen until the 13th amendment. But now it applies to all men, women, and children no matter what color their skin, what race, and what religion. With the bill of rights, everyone in the U.S.A. is protected. The 9th amendment deals ... and Sedition Acts, the Smith Act, and the McCarran Act. The second amendment states that people have the right to have guns to protect "the security of a free state." Some people claim that "the people" refers to individual citizens therefore say...

• Word Count: 390
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... the lead part in a play dealing with the views of four Jews in a concentration camp. After the auditions, my best friend, Lori, and I were called to the teacher's desk. We both had done an especially good job in our tryouts, but she was having a hard time deciding which of us would get the ... us. She asked us if we could come up with a compromise. We both really wanted the main part in the play, and I didn't want to give up the chance to have it. I also knew that I had played one of the main characters in the Christmas play, and she had played a very small role. ... role in the play. W...

• Word Count: 518
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... that most people will think about the scene we ever watched in the movies. And there are different kinds of murderer. They have a lot of plans to do this. At last, they always will put in jail or get killed by others. Actually, murders happen every day in America and the whole ... though his car was blanketed with blood and his hands were full of blood when the cops caught him. I think that this was totally unfair. This dialogue "To Defend a Killer" reminds me a tragic accident in Hong Kong. One of my friends had some argument with a guy. And soon they started a fight. ... or not? Some ...

• Word Count: 541
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... the proposals and recommend how it should be written in the constitution. It is a period of community debate. The commonwealth parliament must pass a bill to allow for a referendum and the questions to be put on the ballot paper. The Governor-General will call a referendum after the bill is passed through both houses by an absolute majority in exactly the same form. However ... , section 128 allows for the bill to be passed through only one house if the other chamber obstructs the same bill twice after three months between each submission. A referendum is a form of direct democracy which...

• Word Count: 361
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... James Earl Jones The Second Amendment of the American Constitution states that every U.S. citizen has the right to own a gun: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed" (Constitution, 160). No matter what situations take place ... the gun and not by the gun alone. The United States ranked number twenty-four in the world in terms of its murder rate. From 1973 to 2009 gun related crimes decreased sixty-five percent, although the United States is a far more violent country than any other ...

• Word Count: 719
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... you are eighteen or older is another right we have. This allows us to express our opinion as far as who we want our leaders to be. We are also given the right to privacy. This means that no one has the right to search us or anything we may own without proper legal authority, such as ... if you are disobeying the law in anyway. If we are charged with a crime, American citizens are allowed a fair trial with a jury of our peers to judge whether or not we are guilty. Whereas, in other countries if you are accused of a crime, you don't get a fair trial with a ... their salary income, race o...

• Word Count: 525
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... visa waiver problem between the U.S. and several of its allies. Then, in March, the Hungarian, Slovakian, and Lithuanian governments signed MOUs (memoranda of understand) committing the U.S. government to help them qualify for the waiver program. In exchange, the U.S. would receive increased security assistance. These countries follow in the footsteps of the Czech Republic, Latvia and Estonia, who have ... States and these countries. Hungarian Ambassador Ferenc Somogyi put it this way at the signing of the agreement: "Liberty manifests itself in the freedom to travel .Equality means eq...

• Word Count: 515
• Approx Pages: 2
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... is this process that has preserved our Constitution's "purity" and our government's time tested way of enacting and maintaining laws. Obviously believing that frequent ratification of new amendments is a threat to our system, she gives us five reasons why our Constitution works as it exists today. The first reason Sullivan gives for the Constitution's continuing success is its stability. By this ... set forth by our forefathers are still in tact. Secondly, she mentions the rule of law. Basically, the Constitution was set forth to be a base on which to build a government. It was not mean...

• Word Count: 424
• Approx Pages: 2
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... actors they encompass are not easily placed within the parameters of a legal society such as the United States. This is perhaps why it is so difficult to take a clear stance on the issue. Although the highest legal body in this country has ruled on the issue the debate remains. Is physician-assisted ... suicide a legal and moral act in which any given person, in any specific situation should be able to partake in? I believe the answer is yes, and it is why I would have decided the Supreme Court cases of Washington v. Glucksberg and Quill v. Vacco ... I believe the court was incorrect in ...

• Word Count: 908
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... many people think. But drugs have become more and more common in recent years, particularly among the younger students in school. In order to prevent drugs in the school, some people suggest that high school teachers should search students for the drugs in the school. But search is ... against unreasonable search, because the Fourth Amendment protects all citizens from unreasonable searches. The fourth Amendment states: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no ... Warrants...

• Word Count: 577
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... for protection because of the police forces that protect our communities. Burger declares that, "The same First Congress that approved the right to keep and bear arms also limited the national army to 840 men". When there is a limited amount of protection for your citizens, you must leave them the option of defending themselves ... . In today's society, there is protection available everywhere you turn. This alone tells one that it is not necessary to own a gun for survival. Not only do you have the security of your own home with locked doors, you have a public task force ready ... use of...

• Word Count: 649
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... I do have rights. When I think of the Constitution I think of the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branch. These branches mean that there will be laws to protect me. The check and balance means that I will be protected from branches having too much power. The Constitution means that there will be presidents, vice ... will have greater power over than the law. It also means that the law won't have too much power. The Constitution gives us the right to privacy. We can't be arrested just because and the police can't search our homes without a warrant. The Constitution is what America's ...

• Word Count: 613
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... A). Since sovereignty lied within the individual states and not the national government, the Articles had no way of enforcing this tax. In order to solve the United State's debt problem, money was printed excessively. However, this did not help the country, but caused major currency issues, ... who felt unjustly treated by the Articles. Events such as the Newburgh Conspiracy demonstrated this dissatisfaction. Many soldiers had considerable money owed to them for their services in the war, and with the bankruptcy of the Articles, the officers of the military were skeptical and feared .....

• Word Count: 757
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... and state, and for lawful hunting and recreational use." It is our right through the United States Constitution and the West Virginia State Constitution to keep and bear arms. Some people actually believe if we would make all guns illegal that criminal activities would almost be eliminated, but ... by 3%. Just imagine a female such as yourself, your wife, daughter or even a close friend being sexually assaulted by a criminal and she is able to get away because she fired a warning shot from her hand gun that scared the criminal away. Nearly 200,000 women defend themselves with fire arms a...

• Word Count: 1003
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... court system in England was established over many years. Initially the local government enforced the laws and enacted punishment. However, as people found this to be unfair in a number of circumstances a court system was set up. The problem was that there were many court systems for different jurisdictions ... reconciled or dispensed with. Eventually the common law, a loose collection of laws, became solidified into a written set of rules and laws to be enforced and judged upon by the Common Law court. Colonial Rights and Liberties Colonial rights and liberties began as an extension of E...

• Word Count: 1163
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School