United States Constitution

PREAMBLE : We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution

ARTICLES

• Article 1
  • Section 1
  • Section 2
  • Section 3
  • Section 4
  • Section 5
  • Section 6
  • Section 7
  • Section 8
    • Commerce Clause
    • Dormant Commerce Clause
    • Taxing and Spending Clause
    • Necessary and Proper Clause
    • Additional Enumerated Powers
    • Section 1
    • Section 2
    • Section 3
    • Section 4
    • Section 1
      • Judicial Review
      • Impeachment of Federal Judges
      • Justiciability
      • Exceptions Clause
      • Section 1
        • Full Faith and Credit Clause
        • Privileges and Immunities Clause
        • Extradition Clause
        • Fugitive Slave Clause
        • New States and Other Property
        • Guarantee Clause

        Amendment

        • Amendment I
          • Establishment
          • Free Exercise
          • Freedom of Speech
          • Freedom of the Press
          • Assembly and Petition
          • Freedom of Religion
          • Rights of Criminal Defendants
          • Eminent Domain
          • Section 1
            • The Question of Government Action
            • Birthright Citizenship
            • Privileges or Immunities Clause
            • Procedural Due Process
            • Substantive Due Process
            • Incorporation of the Bill of Rights
            • Equal Protection Clause

            Amendment XXVII

            Text of Constitution:

            No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of representatives shall have intervened.

            The 'Travis Translation' of Constitution:

            Congress cannot get a raise unless an election happens since they passed the law giving themselves a raise.

            The 27th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is unique not only because it is the latest amendment to be ratified, but because it underwent the longest ratification process in American history. It was first proposed over 200 years before its eventual ratification, when renewed interest in it reinitialized a process that had become stalled when it was originally sent to the states all those years ago. Finally, in 1992, the amendment was ratified. This amendment is designed to minimize possible corruption in Congress. According to the Constitution, Congress is responsible for giving itself raises. Obviously this raises potential conflicts of interest. Thus, the 27th Amendment prevents any raise from going into effect until after the next election. In other words, if members of Congress vote to increase the salaries of members of Congress, the raise isn’t actually implemented until after the Congresspeople are up for reelection. This allows them to be accountable for potential misadministration of their compensation.