Реферат: The United States Government Essay Research Paper

In 1976, Ronald Reagan challenged Gerald R. Ford for the Republican nomination but lost by a small margin. He was not a quitter, however, and in 1980 he chased after the nomination again and easily beat George Bush whom he later chose for his vice president.

During the Reagan Administration, Reagan brought conservatives to power both in the Republican Party and in the nation. Reagan?s economic program, sometimes called Reaganomics, was a tax and spending cuts budget which stimulated economic growth between 1982 and 1987.

The Constitution of the United States of America

The constitution of the United States is the framework of the government. On it all laws are based, and if there is a conflict, the law will be determined unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. An amendment to the constitution is when a change is made to the constitution. In this section of my Government Booklet, some of the most important amendments will be discussed.

Amendment 1: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

The first amendment is probably the most famous amendment, because it gives citizens of the United States their basic rights and privileges. However, these rights do have limits, and once you go past the limit, you are breaking the law.

Amendment 2: 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. Ask any member of the NRA what the second amendment is, and 9 times out of ten, he will be able to quote it for you. With the laws going more and more to the left, it is my guess that this right will be infringed within the next ten years.

Amendment 4: 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 shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. This amendment is basically saying that the government, police, etc., cannot come into your house without a warrant and ?just cause? for wanting to search the area.

Amendment 8 Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. This amendment is one of the ones for people accused of a crime. In essence, they are not to have bail unreasonably high, fines unreasonably high, or tortured. Many people say that the death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment, but they are wrong.

Amendment 13 Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. This amendment totally abolishes any slavery within the legal jurisdiction of the United States.

Amendment 19 The right of the citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. This amendment, made in 1920, gives women the right to vote. Previously, women had almost no rights, and voting was a privilege that they were not allowed to have.

Amendment 21 The Eighteenth Article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed. The transportation or importation into any state, territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited. This amendment repealed, or took back the eighteenth amendment which made alcohol illegal.

Amendment 22 No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of President more than once.

This amendment makes it so that a president can only serve for two terms in his lifetime. This keeps the United States from ever having a dictatorship.

Amendment 26 The right of citizens of the United States, who are 18 years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of age. The Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. This amendment, made in 1971, lowers the voting age from 21 to 18.

The Presidents of the United States

President Election Years in Political Party Home

State

Year Office

George Washington 1788 1789-1793 None Virginia

George Washington 1792 1793-1797 None Virginia

John Adams 1796 1797-1801 Federalist Massachusetts

Thomas Jefferson 1800 1801-1805 Republican Virginia

Thomas Jefferson 1804 1805-1809 Republican Virginia

James Madison 1808 1809-1813 Republican Virginia

James Madison 1812 1813-1817 Republican Virginia

James Monroe 1816 1817-1821 Republican Virginia

James Monroe 1820 1821-1825 Republican Virginia

John Quincy Adams 1824 1825-1829 Republican Massachusetts