NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Territorial Clause

The Territorial Clause refers to Article IV, Section 3, paragraph 2 of United States Constitution: The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America. ...

The interpretation of this clause gives the United States Congress the final power over every territory of the United States. However, the interpretation of the word territory is rather controversial. Congress in Joint Session. ...

One of the best examples of the meaning of the territorial clause is the case of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico, an island-country, was ceded to the United States in 1898, becoming a territory of the United States. Therefore, Congress had the ultimate power over the island and effectively organized its' governments in the first half of the twentieth-century. However, the question was whether the whole Constitution applied to the territories called Insular areas by Congress.

In a series of opinions by the Supreme Court of the United States, refferred to as the Insular Cases, the court ruled that territories belonged to, but were not part of the United States. Therefore, under the Territorial clause Congress had the power to determine which parts of the Constitution applied to the territories. The Supreme Court of the United States is the supreme court in the United States. ... The Insular Cases are several U. S. Supreme Court cases decided early in the 20th century. ...

The meaning of the territorial clause continues to be a major dividing aspect of Puerto Ricans in the debate over their political status.

See Also

The Insular Cases are several U. S. Supreme Court cases decided early in the 20th century. ...

Category: United States Constitution The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights. This is a complete list of all ratified and unratified amendments to the United States Constitution which have received the approval of Congress. ... The first ten Amendments to the U.S. Constitution make up the Bill of Rights. ... Amendment II (the Second Amendment) of the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, codifies the right of the people to keep and bear arms. ... Amendment III (the Third Amendment) to the United States Constitution is a part of the United States Bill of Rights. ... Amendment IV (the Fourth Amendment) of the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, guards against unreasonable searches and seizures. ... Amendment V (the Fifth Amendment) of the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, is related to legal procedure. ... Amendment VI (the Sixth Amendment) of the United States Constitution guarantees rights related to criminal prosecutions in federal courts. ... Amendment VII (the Seventh Amendment) of the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, codifies the right to jury trial in certain civil trials. ... Amendment VIII (the Eighth Amendment) of the United States Constitution, which is part of the U.S. Bill of Rights, prohibits excessive bail or fines, as well as cruel and unusual punishment. ... Amendment IX (the Ninth Amendment) to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, states: // Adoption of the Ninth Amendment In his introduction before the House of Representatives of the original twelve Amendments proposed to the states, ten of which would be ratified and become known... Amendment X (the Tenth Amendment) of the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, was ratified on December 15, 1791. ... Amendment XI (the Eleventh Amendment) of the United States Constitution was passed by the US Congress on March 4, 1794 and was ratified on February 7, 1795. ... The Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution altered Article II pertaining to presidential elections. ... Amendment XIII (the Thirteenth Amendment) of the United States Constitution abolished slavery and, with the exception of allowing punishments for crimes, prohibits involuntary servitude. ... The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution is one of the post-Civil War amendments and includes the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses. ... Image:Joint Resolution Proposing the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution, 7 December 1868. ... Amendment XVI (the Sixteenth Amendment) of the United States Constitution, authorizing income taxes in their present form, was ratified on February 3, 1913. ... Amendment XVII (the Seventeenth Amendment) of the United States Constitution ratified on April 8, 1913 and first in effect for the election of 1914, amends Article 1 Section 3 of the Constitution to provide for the direct election of Senators by the people of a state rather than their election... Prohibition agents destroying barrels of alcohol. ... Amendment XIX (the Nineteenth Amendment) to the United States Constitution (sometimes called the Susan B. Anthony Amendment) grants voting rights regardless of the voters sex: The amendment prohibits both the federal government and the states from using a persons sex as a qualification to vote; it was specifically... Amendment XX (the Twentieth Amendment) of the United States Constitution, also called The Lame Duck Amendment, establishes some details of presidential succession and of the beginning and ending of the terms of elected federal officials. ... Amendment XXI (the Twenty-first Amendment) to the United States Constitution repealed the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which had mandated nationwide Prohibition. ... The Twenty-second Amendment of the United States Constitution sets a term limit for the President of the United States, providing that No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President... Amendment XXIII (the Twenty-third Amendment) of the United States Constitution permits the District of Columbia to choose Electors for President and Vice President. ... Amendment XXIV (the Twenty-fourth Amendment) of the United States Constitution prohibits both and Congress and the states from conditioning the right to vote in federal elections on payment of a poll tax or other type of tax. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution Amendment XXV (the Twenty-fifth Amendment) of the United States Constitution clarifies an ambiguous provision of the Constitution regarding succession to the Presidency, and establishes procedures both for filling a vacancy in the office... Amendment XXVI (the Twenty-sixth Amendment) of the United States Constitution states: Section 1. ... Amendment XXVII (the Twenty-seventh Amendment) to the United States Constitution reads: // Background This amendment to the United States Constitution provides that any change in the salary of members of Congress may only take effect after the next general election. ... The United States Constitution was created in 1787, four years after the United States secured its independence from Great Britain. ... The Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, commonly known as the Articles of Confederation, formed the first governing document of the United States of America. ... The Annapolis Convention was a meeting at Annapolis, Maryland of 12 delegates from five states (New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia) that called for a constitutional convention. ... Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States, by Howard Chandler Christy. ... The New Jersey Plan was a proposal for the structure of the United States Government proposed by William Paterson in the June of 1787. ... The Virginia Plan was a proposal for the structure of the United States Government at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... The Connecticut Compromise of 1787 in the United States, later known as the Great Compromise, was struck in the creation of legislative bodies. ... Title page of an early Federalist compilation. ... Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States, by Howard Chandler Christy. ... The Bill of Rights is the name given to the ten amendments to the United States Constitution (1-10). ... The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights. This is a complete list of all ratified and unratified amendments to the United States Constitution which have received the approval of Congress. ... This is an incomplete list of proposed amendments to the United States Constitution, in reverse chronological order. ... The United States Constitution has been amended on 18 occasionsâ€”with a total of 27 individual successful amendmentsâ€”since the Constitution was completed in 1787. ... Besides the more common method, there is an option to assemble a national convention to propose amendments to the United States Constitution. ... Article V of the United States Constitution establishes the possibility of conventions within the staes to ratify an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. ... Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution, known as the Commerce Clause, empowers the United States Congress To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes. ... The Dormant Commerce Clause doctrine in United States case law limits the power of states to legislate in connection with interstate commerce. ... The Contract Clause appears in the United States Constitution, Article I, section 10, clause 1. ... Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution, known as the Copyright Clause empowers the United States Congress: To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Equal Protection Clause is a part of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, providing that no state shall . ... The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution states that: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion Together with the Free Exercise Clause, these two clauses make up what is commonly known as the religion clauses. ... The Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment has often been interpreted to include two freedoms: the freedom to believe, and the freedom to act. ... The Full Faith and Credit Clause is part of Article Four, Section 1 of the United States Constitution. ... The impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton in 1999, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist presiding. ... In general, a natural-born citizen of a country is someone who is legally recognized as that countrys citizen as of the moment of birth, rather than by acquiring citizenship afterwards through naturalization. ... The Necessary and Proper Clause (also known as the elastic clause) refers to Article One Section 8 paragraph 18 of the United States Constitution: The interpretation of this phrase has been controversial, especially during the early years of the republic. ... The no religious test clause of the United States Constitution is cited by advocates of separation of church and state as an example of original intent of the Framers of the Constitution of avoiding any entanglement between church and state, or involving the government in any way as a determiner... The Privileges or Immunities Clause is a provision of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. ... The Supremacy Clause appears in Article VI of the United States Constitution. ... Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 of the United States Constitution, known as the Taxing and Spending Clause states: The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States... Sometimes referred to as the War Powers Clause, the United States Constitution, Article One, Section 8, Clause 11, vests in the Congress the exclusive power to declare war. ... A number of amendments to the United States Constitution include a Congressional power of enforcement. ... Double jeopardy (also called autrefois acquit meaning already acquitted) is a procedural defense (and, in many countries such as the United States, Canada and India, a constitutional right) that forbids a defendant from being tried a second time for a crime, after having already been tried for the same crime. ... Enumerated powers is a term referring to Article 1 Section 8 of the United States Constitution which lists the specific powers of legislation granted to the United States Congress. ... Incorporation of the Bill of Rights is the legal doctrine by which portions of the U.S. Bill of Rights are applied to the states through the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... In the legal system of the United States, preemption generally refers to the displacing effect that federal law will have on a conflicting or inconsistent state law. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. ... Separation of powers is a political doctrine under which the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government are kept distinct, to prevent abuse of power. ...