The Bill of Rights

The Bill of Rights guarantees five basic freedoms to the citizens of the United States. These freedoms are presented in the 10 amendments in the bill of rights. The first amendment lists out these freedoms which are freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of press, freedom of assembly, and freedom of petition. The second amendment guarantees the citizens the right to bear arms and form state militias but the federal and state governments claim the right to regulate firearms. 

   The third amendments is the amendment that bans the stationing of military soldiers in homes of civilians during peace time which was a big issue around the 1700s. The fourth amendment prevents unreasonable searches and seizures by authorities because they have no right to search peoples property without a just or probable cause. The fifth amendment keeps someone from not being charged  by the same crime twice known as Double Jeopardy and self incrimination which can't make a criminal be a witness against yourself. The sixth amendment provides the right to a fair trial guarantees a speedy trial by a jury in criminal cases and the accused also has the right to be represented by a lawyer. 

The seventh amendment guarantees right to jury trial in civil cases which are cases that do not involve criminal conduct. The eight amendment bans excessive bail and punishment, courts can not impose unreasonable punishments. The ninth amendment guarantees the rights retained by the people and covers rights that are not listed in the constitution such as gay rights and abortion rights. The tenth amendment ensures state's rights but federal law always supersedes state law. 

Guiding Themes of the Constitution

The U.S. Constitution is the document used to structure the American government. The U.S. Constitution is known as the supreme law of the nation because it consist's of six guiding themes. These six guiding themes are popular sovereignty, rules of law, separation of powers and checks and balances, federalism, independent judiciary, and individual rights. These guidelines are important to provide the framework for how our country should be run.

Popular Sovereignty is called the heart of democracy. It is called this because it means that power should not be resided in the government but to the people of the United States. Rules of Law means that the people of the United States and it's government should follow a system of laws. For example. if there is a conflict between federal law, which is the law in all of the United States, going against a state law, the federal law will always win.

Separation of Powers-Check and Balances is the principle based on Montesquieu's ideas and how the national government should be divided into 3 branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. Federalism is the principle that is used to divide the power from our central government, which is located in Washington D.C., from the state governments creating 3 types of powers: delegated power, reserved powers, and concurrent powers. Independent Judiciary is the principle that says that the Supreme Court is the ultimate authority that chooses whether something is legal or illegal in the United States. Individual Rights is the principle that used to let us know that our individual rights are protected by the first 10 amendments.

Rights and Responsibilities of American Citizens

Being an American Citizen is a important topic because it discusses the rule's and how one could be eligible to become a member of the United States. To become an american citizen there are three methods that can be used: the law of the soil, the law of blood and citizens by naturalization. The law of soil means that any person that is born on american soil or any of it's territories can become an American Citizen. For example, if you are born in Puerto Rico you are automatically a u.s. citizen.

The law of blood means that any person that is born outside the United States to parents who are american citizens  automatically become an american citizen when they are born. For example, if you are born in Canada and your parent's are citizens of United States then you also become a u.s. citizen.Citizens by naturalization means that anyone who comes from another country to the United States can become a u.s. citizen by doing a long process. For example, If i'm from Mexico and I want to move to the United States I can for the application of naturalization but only if you meet the requirements such as living in the country as a resident for 5 years or more.

When becoming american citizens we are given security that protects us from unreasonable action by the government. We are given equality which means that everyone is given equal protection from the laws in the United States. We are to follow duties such as obeying laws, serving in court, voting, paying taxes, defending our nation, and serving in court. And having responsibilities such as participating in the government, informed about our government and knowing our rights in order to preserve them, respecting each others rights and respecting the diversity in our nation.