A Wisdom Archive on Seventeenth Amendment

The obverse and reverse of this coin were designed by John Roettier (1631–c. 1700). The obverse showed a fine right-facing bust of the king wearing a laurel wreath (amended several times during the reign), surrounded by the legend CAROLVS II DEI GRATIA ("Charles II by the grace of God"), while the reverse showed four crowned cruciform shields bearing the arms of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, between which were four sceptres, and in the centre were four interlinked "C"s, surrounded by the inscription MAG BR F ...

Read more here: » Guinea British coin: Encyclopedia II - Guinea British coin - Seventeenth century

Pakistan's many constitutional changes are reflected by the following key constitutional amendments: Eighth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan which gave the president executive powers Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan which removed the president's reserve powers to dissolve the National Assembly and call elections before the end of its term. Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan which institutionalized party discipline, diminishing the ability of the legislature to dism ...

Read more here: » Constitution of Pakistan: Encyclopedia II - Constitution of Pakistan - Amendments

The revived Constituent Assembly promulgated Pakistan's first indigenous constitution in 1956 and reconstituted itself as the national legislature--the Legislative Assembly--under the constitution it adopted. Pakistan became an Islamic republic. The Governor General was replaced by a President. ...more on the interim between 1956 and 1973 to follow... ...

Read more here: » Constitution of Pakistan: Encyclopedia II - Constitution of Pakistan - The Constitution of 1956

Although the Constitution has been amended several times since it was first adopted, its basic principles remain the same now as in 1789. There are three branches of the national government—executive, legislative, and judicial—and they are separate and distinct from one another. The powers given to each are in theory balanced and checked by the powers of the other two. Each branch ideally serves as a check on potential excesses of the others. This is known as "separation of po ...

Read more here: » United States Constitution: Encyclopedia II - United States Constitution - Principles of government

The Constitution has a total of 27 amendments. The first ten, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified simultaneously. The following seventeen were ratified separately. United States Constitution - The Bill of Rights 1–10. Main article: United States Bill of Rights The Bill of Rights comprises the first ten amendments to the Constitution. Those amendments were adopted between 1789 and 1791, and all relate to limiting the power of the federal government. They were ...

Read more here: » United States Constitution: Encyclopedia II - United States Constitution - Amendments

During the Revolutionary War, the thirteen states first formed a very weak central government—with the Congress being its only component—under the Articles of Confederation. Congress lacked any power to impose taxes, and, because there was no national executive or judiciary, relied on state authorities (who were often uncooperative) to enforce all of its acts. It also had no authority to override tax laws and tariffs between states. The Articles required unanimous consent from all the states before they could be amended and states took t ...

Read more here: » United States Constitution: Encyclopedia II - United States Constitution - History

The U.S. Constitution styles itself the "supreme law of the land." Courts have interpreted this phrase to mean that when laws (including state constitutions) that have been passed by state legislatures, or by the (national) U.S. Congress, are found to conflict with the federal constitution, these laws are ultra vires and have no effect. Decisions by the Supreme Court over the course of two centuries have repeatedly confirmed and strengthened the ...

Read more here: » United States Constitution: Encyclopedia II - United States Constitution - The Constitution

The Preamble reads: 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 for the United States of America. The Preamble neither grants any powers nor inhibits any actions; it only explains the rationale behind the Constitutio ...

Read more here: » United States Constitution: Encyclopedia II - United States Constitution - Preamble

The first major step in framing a constitution was the passage by the Constituent Assembly of the Objectives Resolution of March 1949, which defined the basic principles of the new state. It provided that Pakistan would be a state: "wherein the principles of democracy, freedom, equality, tolerance and social justice, as enunciated by Islam, shall be fully observed; wherein the Muslims shall be enabled to order their lives in the individual and collective spheres in accordance with the teachings and requirements of Islam a ...

Read more here: » Constitution of Pakistan: Encyclopedia II - Constitution of Pakistan - Early constitutional beginnings