How does the U.S. government work?
Check out The United States Government Manual, maintained by the OFR. NARA, and the GPO. Historical versions here.
U.S.A. Founding Documents
Read the Full Text of the American Founding Documents yourself!
- Declaration of Independence
- The U.S. Constitution
- Bill of Rights (Amendments 1-10)
- Constitution Amendments 11-27
Or, even better, take a field trip to the National Archives in Washington D.C. to see the original document.
The founding documents established the 3 Branches of the U.S. Federal Government:
Q: How is the constitution Amended?
A:
An amendment is proposed either by:
- two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate
- or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the State legislatures.
An amendment becomes part of the constitution when
- three fourths of the states (38 out of 50) ratify it
