Constitution 2 Essay, Research Paper

Over two hundred years ago this country s constitution was written so that the people of the United States of America will have a system of government that worked and one that protected them. Ever since John Hancock and the other founding fathers signed the document, this country has been all it was hoped to become. The Constitution was broken up into many Articles that deal with certain objectives. Three examples of those Articles are: The process a bill must go through before it becomes a law, the powers of the president, and the kinds of interstate reciprocity that are guaranteed.

Members of the House of Representatives as well as members of the Senate create bills. After being proposed the bill must go through a vote in wither the House or the Senate, and if passed it is presented to the president. When the president receives the bill he decides whether or not the bill is sufficient and deserves to become a law. He either approves the bill to become a law, or he denies it and returns it to where it was originated with a list of his objections. Now the House or Senate has ten days to deliberate and decide whether the bill is still worth passing. After modifying the bill, the house where it originated must vote on whether it is passed; only an approval of two thirds of the members can pass the bill. After the vote, the passed bill is now sent to the other house with the list of objections. Here another deliberation and vote occurs, and if passed the bill finally becomes a law. If Congress cannot return the newly passed law to the President within ten days, the president may use his own dicression on whether the bill be passed.

This process of how a bill becomes a law is preformed under a system of checks and balances, leaving no body of the government with too much power. The constitution states that every Order, Resolution, or Vote to which Concurrence of the Senate and House of representatives may be necessary (except on the question of Adjournment) shall be presented to the President of the United States; and before the Same shall take Effect, shall be approved by him, of being disapproved by him, shall be passed by two thirds of the Senate and House of Representatives, according to the Rules and Limitations prescribed in the Case of a Bill. (Article I, Section 7, Paragraph 3)

Article two of the United States Constitution deals with the powers of the President. Although one might consider the President to have as much power as a king or other from of monarchy, he/she really only has as much power as his counter parts in the United States government. Once elected and sworn-in, the President starts his term of four years. One of the roles bestowed opon the President is the power of being Commander and Chief of the Army, Navy, and other armed forces of the United States. This meaning that he is the head figure of the armed forces, and controls what the country does when a conflict occurs with another country. If a conflict may occur, he/she has the power to grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the United States, except in cases of impeachment (Article II, Section 2, Paragraph 1).

The president has the power to write Treaties also. However, he cannot write and pass a Treaty with out consent from the Senate. After an approval from two thirds of the Senate the Treaty may be passed. The Senate checks all the decisions made by the president. The president may not appoint Ambassadors, public Ministers, Judges of the Supreme Court, and other officials without a two-thirds approval from the Senate.

A third power of the president is that he/she has power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by Granted Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session, (Article II, Section 2, Paragraph 3). The President has all these powers, but may not make a decision that will effect the country for a long period of time, without the approval of Congress.

Interstate reciprocity is dealt with in Article IV of the Constitution and deals with equality of citizens from all fifty states as far as governmental rights and restrictions go. Congress has to make sure that each one of the Fifty states is treated equally under general laws. All public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of one state shall be the same as the other forty-nine.

This Article also deals with wanted criminals fleeing their state trying to escape the police. The Constitution states that a person charged in any state with Treason, Felony, or other Crime, who shall flee from Justice, and be found in another State, shall on demand of the executive Authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up to be removed to the State having Jurisdiction of the crime, (Article IV, Section 2, Paragraph 2). This meaning that any wanted criminal found in another state where he did not commit the crime must be sent back to whatever jurisdiction where he is wanted. In that state he will be tried and legal action will be taken.

The Constitution was written for the people and by the people, so that everyone who lives on United States soil is treated equally and fairly. It was also written to create a government with no overpowering body. Two houndred and twenty-four years after the Constitution was written, it still maintains status.