When was the last time you read this?

When is the last time you (or your children) read the US Constitution, or for that matter, the Declaration of Independence? With our national birthday just around the corner, thinking about the Constitution seems particularly relevant. It’s great to go watch a parade, but you might find it truly worthwhile to take a little time and read our Constitution. If memory serves me correctly, I read it back in my college days for a class I took on constitutional law. Recently, however, I read a great book on my Kindle, called The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin. The Nine frequently referenced the articles and amendments of the US Constitution. So, after finishing The Nine, I decided to reread the Declaration of Independence and The US Constitution.  I came away with two surprises:  1. The Constitution is a surprisingly short document considering all that it represents – those framers were clearly a brilliant group.  2. Even with the formality of the language of the times, you can really sense the pent up anger in the Declaration of Independence.

The real question is, how much do you know about the Constitution? If you’re curious, take this quick quiz (answers are below):

1. How many Articles are there?
2. How many Amendments are there (last one was in 1992)?
3. What is Article 1 about?
4. What is Article 2 about?
5. What is Article 3 about?
6. How many Amendments are there in the Bill of Rights?
7. When was the Bill of Rights ratified?
8. Which Amendment abolished slavery?
9. Where would you find the famous quote, “WE hold these Truths to be self evident?
10. How many states were required to ratify the Constitution?
11. Bonus question: What is the Fifth Amendment about?

Some of the language in the Constitution seems crystal clear to me, other language seems cryptic. After reading through it (twice), it seems abundantly clear why the judiciary has so many perspectives of Constitutional right and wrong and the myriad of interpretational perspectives on the document. This document represents one of the most important, guiding principles of our everyday lives. When is the last time you or your children read the Declaration of Independence and The US Constitution? Answers to the quiz are below, if I made a layman’s error on these, I guess I’ll have to “plead the Fifth”. Feel free to send me comments, clarifications or corrections.

Answers: 1. (7) 2. (27) 3. (Legislative Branch) 4. (Executive Branch) 5. (Judicial Branch) 6. (10)  7.  (1791) 8. (13^th) 9. (Declaration of Independence) 10. (9) 11. (Shall not be compelled to be a witness against himself)

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