Premium Essay

What Is the Bill of Rights and How Important Is It?

In: Historical Events

Submitted By haydn94
Words 418
Pages 2
What is the Bill of Rights and how important is it?

The Bill of Right is the collective name for the first ten Amendments of the United States Constitution, which limits the power of the US federal government. These limitations serve to protect the natural rights of liberty including freedoms of religion, speech, a free press, free assembly, and free association, as well as the right to keep and bear arms. The Founding Fathers wanted to ensure that no man could obtain excessive power, which could infringe the citizen’s rights.

The Bill of Rights retains an important role in American society as it outlines the rights and freedoms of the individuals. This allows them to use the Bill of Rights as a reference point if they ever find themselves in a situation where they need to defend themselves according to the rights that they claim. This can be seen in Amendment V of the Bill of Rights, whereby a suspected criminal has the rights to not be a witness against himself so as to prevent self incrimination. The Bill of Rights shows the rights of the citizens as it gives individuals the right to keep and bear arms, as outlined in Amendment I where the Bill of Rights clearly shows the right and freedoms of the citizens.

However the Bill of Rights can be interpreted in different ways which can lead to inconsistencies in the treatment of the individuals, this is most common depending on where that individual lives. This vagueness has caused a clear debate in the death penalty, where in some states it is commonly used whereas in others it has been abolished. Also external influences on the rights of the citizens have undermined the importance of the Bill of Rights. This can be seen in the Patriot Act, which reduced the limitations on law enforcement as infringed the rights that had been outlined in the Bill of Rights, which has reduced its importance.

The Bill of

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Government

...Beatrice Walker HIS/301 Professor Lopez-Schermer June 10, 2013 Our four fathers as a way of check and balances created the Constitution. They believed that a strong federal government was needed for the country to survive. The constitution is the base for all laws in the United States. It’s the highest law in the United States. The constitution can be changed, when it’s changed it’s called and amendment. Among the amendments are the bill of rights and the reconstruction amendments. In this paper I will discuss how and why amendments become part of the constitution, what were some problems with the original document that motivated the adoption of the bill of rights, the effects of the bill of rights and the reconstruction amendments and their effects. How and why do amendments become part of the constitution? When the constitution was written, the Framers knew that the constitution would and could be amended. Article V of the constitution tells how an amendment can become a part of the constitution. It takes two steps to add an amendment to the constitution. The first step is the proposal. An amendment can be proposed by either two-thirds vote in congress, which includes both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The second step is ratification; the amendment has to be ratified by wither three-fourths of the state legislatures or by state conventions in three-fourths of the states. An amendment can only be ratified after two-thirds of the House and...

Words: 1409 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

American Democracy

...changing since the beginning of democracy. Some of these changes that have occurred have weakened our government system. The definition of democracy is a government run by the people of the country. My personal definition of democracy is having officials that will do what is best for the citizens of the country. I also feel that this should be done with the utmost respect and morals. I feel that this is the way that our fore fathers would have wanted it. I truly believe that our country started on these values and beliefs. Is that where it has really ended up? Democracy has a different meaning to everyone. One fact that we can all agree on is that democracy is one of the most important things in our life in America. The fact that we all wake in the morning to living in a free country is something that we as Americans thrive on. Some things that we must pay close attention to is the control that the government has over the citizens of America. As Ronal Reagan said “Government is not a solution to our problem”. The Constitution was made to protect the rights of the citizens of America. The original creators of the Constitution wanted to make sure that the government did not get so powerful that the citizen’s rights were in no way swayed. With the way that the government is now-...

Words: 1778 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Pros And Cons Of The Magna Carta

...seen at times in history. We “search” through the past to see what we did wrong and then learn from our mistakes,so it doesn’t happen again. Although some may argue that we never really learned from our past, some cases have shown otherwise, like the Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights. The Americans used previous knowledge on the pros and cons of the Magna Carta to shape their own document which is known as The Bill of Rights. Despite the fact that the Bill Of Rights was based off of the Magna Carta and are similar, they are different documents,so...

Words: 1435 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Bill of Rights Paper

...Bill of Rights Paper May 7, 2012 Week 3 History 301 / United States Constitution Joseph Richardson As Americans we are given certain “freedoms” that other countries are not entitled to have. In 1787 the United States Constitution went to effect and included the Bill of Rights that provides us with our freedoms. Each of these amendments is very important to the way we live in today’s society and play an important role in our lives. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights is the foundation for our country and the Amendments it includes gives our citizens their individual rights. The Constitution is what separates us from any other country. Certain Amendments were able to pave the way for all groups of individuals to have equal rights. The Constitution is a living document and was created that way to keep growing and changing to evolve with the American people. Our founding fathers understood that times would change the United States would grow and have different issues then our forefathers had. Because they understood this when they created the Constitution of the United States which included article V. Article V of the United States Constitution states that whenever two thirds of both houses decides an amendment is necessary they can propose it. A proposed amendment becomes part of the Constitution after it is ratified by three fourths of the 50 states. An amendment means a change, addition, correction or alteration to the current Constitution. The reason our Constitution...

Words: 1620 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Rights and Freedom

...Xavier Kee 10/ 23/14 POS-301 Instructor: Jennifer Biddle Rights and Freedom In this paper I will discuss about which freedom that guaranteed me in the First amendment to the Constitution. I will also discuss about the significance of the Bill of Rights, and the process for amending the constitution. The amendment which guaranteed freedom to me in the First Amendment to the Constitution personally is the Amendment 1. Amendment 1 states that I am guaranteed my right of freedom of speech, press, and religion, peaceable assembly, and petition. This amendment here first of all offers a variety of freedoms for me. And I believe that as a citizen here in America I am entitled and to these rights. One of the first amendments is the freedom of speech, I am glad this was guaranteed so that I may have the right to express how I may feel and about the matters of this world. And that it is ok to be able to do so and also to be able to express my opinions, feelings, and etc. So with that being said I am able to speak about the issues or area that our government don’t really handle or are not really addressing whatever needs to be address. This is very important to me because I am able to speak my mind without being prosecuted for it and to actually really get my point across of what I need to and just be able to speak about different things in life. Next freedom from the First Amendment is the...

Words: 968 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Science

...traditions. In this class I have learned a lot about American government and how it works. I have been surprised at how much power the government has and the way the government works. There have also been a lot I have already known about the way the government works. I will discuses some of the ways they work and how I think they can improve so areas. I have found in doing this class that there are many ways I think they can improve. Consider the challenges to democracy I think the challenge that poses a particular threat to our current system of government is lack of separation. The lack of separation between parliament and the executive is a particular threat to our current system of government. According to (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2011) “Such a separation limits the possibility of arbitrary excesses by government, since the sanction of all three branches is required for the making, executing, and administering of laws”(para 1). In America the discloser of separation of powers is more a name than a description. None of these three branches of the national government are separate from one another. A crucial problem is that split power inevitably entails split accountability. No wonder then that so many difficulties in American government spring ultimately from its divided power system. We have a lot of civic power groups that have powers in today’s society. The American civic values and what I appreciate most about our democracy is that country is running. They all seem...

Words: 2198 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Physician-Assisted Suicide - Descriptive Analysis Paper

...DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS: LET’S CALL PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE WHAT IT IS I have conducted a descriptive analysis from an article written by Karin Klein, Editorial Writer of the Los Angeles Times, published on February 17, 2015. Klein tackled the topic “Let’s call physician-assisted suicide what it is”. The newly written Senate Bill (SB) 128 would “allow physicians in California to write lethal prescriptions under tightly controlled circumstances” for the terminally ill but will not call it as “suicide” nor will it be reflected as such on death certificates. Klein’s editorial is focused on the these two major flaws of the bill written for the terminally ill who are looking for a dignified way to end their life by allowing them access to lethal prescription drugs if the bill is passed. The bill is mirrored after the State of Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act law passed by its legislature in 1997. Klein’s purpose, at the time of her writing the editorial, was to reach out to the legislators and advocates of the bill, her audience, to modify the bill by naming it as it is, “a physician-assisted suicide” and reflecting it as such in death certificates. The tone and approach to her writing was straight to the point while at times satirical, stretching how the definition of “suicide” can have a different connotation in the eyes and perspectives of the advocates of the bill. Klein seeks to appeal to the writers and proponents of the right-to-die movement to make this change regardless of...

Words: 1550 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Edu 450

...POS – 301 November 2, 2014 Professor Biddle My Rights and Freedoms As a citizen of the United States I do not appreciate the freedom and rights given. I have not thought about how fortunate I am to live in a country that allows freedom of speech, freedom of expression, or my favorite, freedom of religion. Throughout this assignment I will explain which freedom in the first amendment relates to me the most, discuss why the Bill of rights are important, and discuss the process for amending the Constitution. The freedom in the first amendment of the constitution relates to me the most would be Freedom of Religion. Freedom of Religion states that as an American I can practice ANY religion I want or I do not have to practice any religion at all. The reason freedom of religion relates to me most is because I am a strong believer in the idiom “to each his own”. I do not care if my friend is Jewish, Hindu, Christian, the list goes on. I think expressing one’s self is extremely important and religion is one of those ways. To me, what a person’s religion is does not determine if they are a good person or not. There are people that consider themselves “Jewish” or “Christian” but yet they are extremely mean and do not care about others. Freedom of religion allows for every single citizen of the United States to have a sense of freedom. We do not feel obligated to have a certain type of religion, which is better! The reason I say this is because if we are not forced to follow...

Words: 862 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Bill Of Rights Importance

...Dou 1Laraine(Haoyu) DouMr. KellerGovernment 12.11.2017Final Essay1. Discuss the meaning and importance of three amendments that are guaranteed under the Bill of Rights and how each is applicable to daily life in the United States.The First Amendment is the most important right in the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights. It is the first one for a reason. It’s small in size, but big in meaning. This right gives the American people freedom to say what their minds desire. Without this right, our media would be nonexistent. When the Founding Fathers of the United States wrote the Bill of Rights back in 1787, they didn't make the First Amendment, “The right to bear arms,” because it wasn't as important as free speech. People may say that the Second...

Words: 375 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Bill of Rights

...Bill of Rights & Amendments Paper Intro The United States is a country that was founded on the principle of freedom; it took the Bill of Rights to be added to the Constitution to guarantee citizens freedom. The Bill of Rights consists of the first ten amendments in the constitution; a document that outlines how the new American government would be created and operated. The Constitution was ratified in 1788 which was the start of protecting the interests of each citizen, two years later the Bill of Rights was proposed by congress and went into effect in 1791. It was designed to prevent the government from taking total power over citizens and to provide them with legal defenses. This essay will discuss the understanding of how amendments become apart of the constitution and how it adopted the Bill of Rights. As well as the changes in society that led to amendments XIII-XV that became part of the constitution. The effects of the Bill of Rights to this country have been beneficial; they lay down the blueprint for freedom by allowing citizens a voice. The failure of the Articles of Confederation was what led to the Constitution; The Articles had a weak national government with no president, or judicial branch. Hence, this led to the Constitution, which showed the three branches of government legislative, executive and judicial; it describes the power of each branch. It was set up by our forefathers in order to change it if necessary. It tells the relationship of the federal...

Words: 1019 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Qualitites of an Entrepreneur

...I am very inspired to pursue my goal of joining an entrepreneurial start up so that I can be part of a successful team and have the satisfaction of starting a business. The most important part of a business plan of success is the management team and the qualities they possess. There are so many qualities to look for in a business leader, but the three main qualities to possess are character, enthusiastic, and be committed to excellence. Because you are taking a great risk when you start a company, a great leader is a must, because they can set a direction of success for a team. Also an entrepreneurial startup can give you excitement for a lifetime if the leader possesses the right qualities. First of all, character is the most important of the qualities to possess as a leader. True authority comes out of the respect of your peers, and without respect there is no way that you can lead because being a good leader is someone who is a role model to others. Once you respect someone you that individual becomes inspirational to you and if that person is on the right path it is likely you will be too. To have character is to be trust worthy, live your life with integrity and honesty and to treat others the way you would like to be treated. An individual who shows great character is Bill gates. Bill, who started with almost nothing, is now worth billions, he makes somewhere in the ball park of 2,000 dollars per minute. He had a rough start with people threating that he stole...

Words: 1251 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Hiso

...to use complete sentences. 1. Define government and politics. Compare these two terms and cite examples of each. Explain how the two terms are distinct but related to each other. · Government is the people who run the country. Politics is the process followed by the leaders of political groups who rule the country. Government implements the policies of the lands, such as with the judicial branch to enforce the laws, the legislative branch to create the laws, and the executive branch to perform national security duties. And politics are the tool utilized by the government. They both utilize political science which is the study of government and politics. While they both perform and aid the same basic function of running the country, politics is just the process while the government is the actual facility performing the tasks. 2. What is anarchy? Can anarchy ever a viable alternative to government, in your opinion? Why or why not? · Anarchy is living in a state of lawlessness. I believe it cannot, because humans do not function correctly without some type of structure. Without structure there will be total chaos. Murders and other unmentionable crimes will occur with no repercussions being put into place. 3. What are the three main levels of government in the U.S.? Which level is the most powerful? Which level is the most important, in your opinion? Defend your answer. · Federal is the level that runs the whole country, they have three branches: Judicial, legislative...

Words: 3272 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

The Bill of Rights

...THE BILL OF RIGHTS UNDER 1987 PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION: A FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE IMPORTANT TO FILIPINOS Thesis Statement: As democratic countries raised in the world, we people should know our rights in order us to protect or defend our credibility from any violations against our will. I. Introduction: Historical Context, definition of bill of rights and philippine constitution, and thesis statement II. History of the philippine constitution A. Articles 1. Bill of Rights a. Most important section b. Least important section B. Basis of the Constitution C. Implementation from 1987-1999 D. Implementation from 2000- present III. Impact of having bill of rights A. In the first day of implementation 1. To poor people 2. To middle class people 3. To rich people B. In the present IV. Importance of having bill of rights A. Present 1. Society a. As students 2. Government b. As leaders 3. Industry a. As professionals b. As skilled workers B. Future V. Effects of having bill of rights A. International 1. Economic talks 2. Sovereignty talks 3. Peace talks B. National or Local VI. Conclusion: In 1986, after the People Power Revolution which ousted the reigm of President Ferdinand Marcos, and following the inauguration of President Corazon Aquino as the first female president of the Philippine Republic, she issued Proclamation No. 3, which declare the national...

Words: 507 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Federalist And Anti-Federalists Similarities

...The Anti-Federalists thought the Constitution would give the government too much power and control; there was no Bill of Rights to protect the people and their rights from...

Words: 1199 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Bill Gates

...Bill Gates Case Study 1. Microsoft earned 25% net income in 1991. How does a firm manage to earn such a high profit? Bill Gates set the standard. Gates made both economic and business history from 1986 to 1991. His company Microsoft’s income statements grew from 197 million dollars to 1.843 million dollars, in just five years! Gates and Microsoft came up with two products to sell. One was the operating system; the other was the application software. The application software was the best seller. It took shelf space and it was also user friendly. Microsoft began introducing its most important office products. Microsoft Works, a combined program which featured typically word processor, spreadsheet, database and other office applications. Towards the end of 1986, Apple Mac. released their first application software. Microsoft Works would later be sold with other Microsoft products including Microsoft Word and Microsoft Bookshelf. In 1987 a reference collection introduced that was the company's first CD-ROM product. Later, on August 8, 1989, Microsoft would introduce its most successful office product, Microsoft Office. Microsoft office included Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Power Point. Obviously Bill Gates couldn’t make and sell these products by himself, so he had to hire well. He had to hire “nerds” that knew what they were doing, and could work in his environment. With his employees they made the operating systems and the application software. But why were they...

Words: 2573 - Pages: 11