The Constitution of the United States
Analysis and Interpretation
The full text of the Constitution, clause by clause, with the Congressional Research Service’s explanation of its history and of how the Supreme Court has interpreted it.
About this edition
This site reproduces the 2022 edition of The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation, usually called the Constitution Annotated (Senate Document 117-12). Congress has had it prepared since 1913, and the Congressional Research Service at the Library of Congress writes it. It covers Supreme Court cases decided through June 30, 2022. It contains 1267 essays and 18926 footnotes.
Each page shows the constitutional text first, followed by the essays on that provision. Use the bar at the top to move between Articles, Sections, Clauses and Amendments, or the Previous/Next links on every page.
Contents
- Introduction
- The Preamble
- Article I — Legislative Branch
- § 1 — Legislative Vesting Clause
- § 2 — House of Representatives
- § 3 — Senate
- § 4 — Congress
- § 5 — Proceedings
- § 6 — Rights and Disabilities
- § 7 — Legislation
- § 8 — Enumerated Powers
- Cl. 1 General Welfare
- Cl. 2 Borrowing
- Cl. 3 Commerce
- Cl. 4 Uniform Laws
- Cl. 5 Standards
- Cl. 6 Counterfeiters
- Cl. 7 Post Offices
- Cl. 8 Intellectual Property
- Cl. 9 Courts
- Cl. 10 Maritime Crimes
- Cl. 11 War Powers
- Cl. 12 Army
- Cl. 13 Navy
- Cl. 14 Land and Naval Forces Rules
- Cl. 15 Calling Militias
- Cl. 16 Organizing Militias
- Cl. 17 Enclave Clause
- Cl. 18 Necessary and Proper Clause
- § 9 — Powers Denied Congress
- § 10 — Powers Denied States
- Article II — Executive Branch
- Article III — Judicial Branch
- Article IV — Relationships Between the States
- Article V — Amending the Constitution
- Article VI — Supreme Law
- Article VII — Ratification
- First Amendment — Fundamental Freedoms
- Second Amendment — Right to Bear Arms
- Third Amendment — Quartering Soldiers
- Fourth Amendment — Searches and Seizures
- Fifth Amendment — Rights of Persons
- Sixth Amendment — Rights in Criminal Prosecutions
- Seventh Amendment — Civil Trial Rights
- Eighth Amendment — Cruel and Unusual Punishment
- Ninth Amendment — Unenumerated Rights
- Tenth Amendment — Rights Reserved to the States and the People
- Eleventh Amendment — Suits Against States
- Twelfth Amendment — Election of President
- Thirteenth Amendment — Abolition of Slavery
- Fourteenth Amendment — Equal Protection and Other Rights
- Fifteenth Amendment — Right of Citizens to Vote
- Sixteenth Amendment — Income Tax
- Seventeenth Amendment — Popular Election of Senators
- Eighteenth Amendment — Prohibition of Liquor
- Nineteenth Amendment — Women’s Suffrage
- Twentieth Amendment — Presidential Term and Succession
- Twenty-First Amendment — Repeal of Prohibition
- Twenty-Second Amendment — Presidential Term Limits
- Twenty-Third Amendment — District of Columbia Electors
- Twenty-Fourth Amendment — Abolition of Poll Tax
- Twenty-Fifth Amendment — Presidential Vacancy
- Twenty-Sixth Amendment — Reduction of Voting Age
- Twenty-Seventh Amendment — Congressional Compensation