The US Constitution, Part 2

 By Best in Moderation

For those who missed part one, check it out at

https://snowflakesforum.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-us-constitution-part-one.html

And read the introduction below. For those who already read part one, skip to the next BOLD heading for the new stuff!

There's a lot of discussion that happens online with people calling something constitutional, unconstitutional, violating the principles of the constitution etc etc etc. Yet for all the people who cite it it seems most people have not ever really READ the Constitution. Which, it being one of the shortest legal documents and yet most important legal document of the nation seems a bit odd.

The USA constitution has only seven sections, or "Articles," and one of those is a ratification section with signatories. Other than that there is a one paragraph Preamble, and that's it. So going through it ought not to be that hard.

Let's do that then! Follow along or read ahead here: 

https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript

Part Two: Article One

The Articles of the US Constitution define the makeup, creation, maintenance and powers of the US government. Article 1 creates a US Congress as a bicameral (two chambers) legislative body (it makes laws), and then explains how it will be filled.

It is the first part, and the longest, showing just how important the Framers felt it was that they get this part right, and detailed as much as possible, as this would be the most powerful branch in their minds, limited by the ability of the Executive to execute the laws created or veto them and the Judiciary to declare laws in or out of line with current ones or the Constitutionally protected items. But that comes later; first of all, section one!

*a special note here: you'll see a pattern emerge in the capitalization that wasn't there in the preamble: every noun is capitalized. I'll note exceptions when and if they occur

Section 1

"All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives."

Already at the beginning you can see that they were trying to define the value of Power in the United States government, and the sentence structure sets it up that there will be a few forms of it. This part regards the legislative power, and that it is to be found both in the Senate and the House of Representatives, whom together make up the body of government called Congress.

One thing that caught my eye here is how they say it will consist of "a Senate and House" rather than "a Senate and a House." I'm fairly sure it's just an old writing convention, but by modern standards it would mean a Senate of Representatives and a House or Representatives, with the latter adjective applied to both. Probably a stretch though. 

Section 2

"The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.

No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen."