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U.S. Constitution and Constitution of Florida
The structures of the United States Constitution (USC) and the Florida State Constitution (FSC) are remarkably similar. Both are broken up into articles (seven in the former, twelve in the latter) and further subdivided into sections. The USC, however, includes twenty-seven amendments.
Much of the content of the USC amendments, particularly the first ten (which are known collectively as the "Bill of Rights") are incorporated into the first article of the FSC. This article, summarized as a "Declaration of Rights" is clearly an attempt to learn from the omissions of the past; even the order of the sections closely match the USC amendments.
The second article of the FSC, "General Provisions," covers issues such as boundaries, form of government, the basis of state ethical law, and declaring the official language. None of this material has a counterpart in the USC.
The first three articles of the USC are the third, fourth, and fifth of the FSC. They cover each of the three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. The FSC is very exhaustive on the topics of powers, duties, and purpose, but the USC only briefly addresses a handful of critical issues before moving on to the next branch.
This reflects the fact that these documents fill different roles. The USC was, first and foremost, a statement to England, the world, and the newly-formed United States of America, that it had become a sovereign nation. The particulars were inconsequential except inasmuch as they inspired confidence in the ability of the new government to act successfully.
The FSC, on the other hand, was written with the intent to cover a lot of legal ground. It is a document to define an entire governmental system. As a result, it is well over five times as long.
This differing role is also expressed in the subject areas covered that are not covered in the USC; election methods, taxation, and local government are all defined in the FSC. The USC restricts itself to enumerating powers of the governmental branches and of the state government vs. The national government.
The truth is that the forefathers were actually quite surprised at the effect that the signing of the Constitution had created in America; at the democratic society and government that resulted after the ratification of the Constitution. The ratification in itself was a long one, and it involved in essence the perusal of the written Constitution by each state for ratification purposes, for which each state was required to create
U.S. Constitution -- Fourth Amendment Fourth Amendment At the moment of independence of the United States from Great Britain, the colonials sought to create a charter of laws and regulations that would preserve the people's rights when placed in the face of government. Monarchy for the colonies was at an end; because of the experiences of the people, it was clear to the colonial inhabitants of the then-13 colonies that made up
U.S. Constitution: Discussion Questions A) The Fourteenth Amendment: the Case of Whitney V. California 274 U.S. 357 Whitney V. California (No. 3) Argued: October 6, 1925 Decided: May 16, 1927 453 Affirmed Location: Socialist Convention at Loring Hall Factual Analysis: Anita Charlotte Whitney, who subscribed to the CLPC (Communist Labor Party of California), found herself was arraigned for breaching the state's 'Criminal Syndicalism Act', which forbade any actions aiding or advocating crime commission, including "terrorism as a means
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In cases of treason accusations, the testimony of two additional parties, or an open court testimony of the defendant is required: "No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court" (Section 3). Democracy - No national or international party is exempt from following the legislations and all those who break the laws will as such be
The U.S. Constitution as it was originally written by Thomas Jefferson and signed by the Founding Fathers, however, was flawed in this way. Within the U.S. Constitution as it was originally written, for example, blacks are explicitly referred to as unequal. Article I, Section 2 of the United States Constitution states: "Representatives...shall be apportioned among the several States... according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to