Amendments Quiz

The 27th Amendment, ratified in 1992, stipulates that any law that increases or decreases the salary of members of Congress shall not take effect until the start of the next set of terms of office for Representatives.

The 26th Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the legal voting age from 21 to 18.

The 25th Amendment clarifies the succession of the presidency and establishes procedures for filling a vacancy in the office of the Vice President and responding to presidential disability.

The 24th Amendment, ratified in 1964, prohibits both Congress and the states from conditioning the right to vote in federal elections on payment of a poll tax or other types of tax.

The 23rd Amendment, ratified in 1961, granted residents of Washington D.C. the right to vote for representatives in the Electoral College. This allowed the district to participate in presidential elections.

The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, established a two-term limit for the President of the United States. This was a response to Franklin D. Roosevelt serving four terms.

The 21st Amendment, ratified in 1933, repealed the 18th Amendment, which had established the prohibition of alcohol. It is the only amendment to repeal a previous one.

The 20th Amendment, often called the Lame Duck Amendment, moved the beginning of presidential and congressional terms from March to January. This reduced the time between an election and the start of a new term.

The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, guaranteed that the right of citizens to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

The 18th Amendment, ratified in 1919, established the prohibition of the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors. It was later repealed by the 21st Amendment.

The 17th Amendment, ratified in 1913, changed the method of electing U.S. Senators from selection by state legislatures to direct election by the people of each state.

The 16th Amendment, ratified in 1913, gave Congress the legal authority to levy a federal income tax without apportioning it among the states based on population.

The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, prohibited the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, includes the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause, which prohibit states from depriving any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.

The 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865, officially abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States, except as punishment for a crime.

The 12th Amendment, ratified in 1804, revised the procedure for electing the President and Vice President, requiring separate ballots for each office to avoid the issues seen in the 1800 election.

The 11th Amendment, ratified in 1795, limits the ability of federal courts to hear cases brought against states by citizens of other states or foreign countries.

The 10th Amendment states that powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

The 9th Amendment states that the enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

The 8th Amendment prohibits the federal government from imposing excessive bail, excessive fines, or cruel and unusual punishments.

The 7th Amendment guarantees the right to a trial by jury in civil cases where the value in controversy exceeds twenty dollars.

The 6th Amendment guarantees the rights of criminal defendants, including the right to a public trial without unnecessary delay, the right to a lawyer, and the right to an impartial jury.

The 5th Amendment provides that no person shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, which is the right against self-incrimination.

The 4th Amendment protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government and requires warrants to be supported by probable cause.

The 3rd Amendment places restrictions on the quartering of soldiers in private homes without the owner's consent, forbidding the practice in peacetime.

The 2nd Amendment protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms.

The 1st Amendment protects freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, the right to assemble, and the right to petition the government.