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Help Please! Does anyone know what a "constitutional clause" is?

PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 9:20 am
by ~darkelfgirl~
I'm doing my American Gov't work right now and I'm trying to find out what a clause in the constitution is (because my book doesn't define or label it). If you know, please do tell me.

PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 9:33 am
by Mithrandir
A clause is just a group of words in a sentence. As far as I know, it's kinda like a basic noun, verb, subject thing. What's the exact question? You could say most every idea in the constitution is a "constitutional clause."

PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:02 am
by ~darkelfgirl~
Mithrandir wrote:A clause is just a group of words in a sentence. As far as I know, it's kinda like a basic noun, verb, subject thing. What's the exact question? You could say most every idea in the constitution is a "constitutional clause."


You know how the Constitution is divided into Articles, Sections, and Clauses? The articles and sections are labeled but not the clauses--it's just a bunch of paragraphs. I don't know if the paragraphs are the clauses...I'm confused....

PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 11:41 am
by EricTheFred
'Clause' in law means something different than it does in grammar. The way I learned it, each sentence after the preamble is a 'clause' in the US Constitution. Each paragraph covers a fairly specific subject, but the individual sentances are in effect individual laws.

I did a quick search and found a good page of examples, but I notice that some examples are two sentences long. Thus, I suspect these divisions are more a matter of tradition amongst the lawyers than any clear rule.

http://lib.law.washington.edu/ref/consticlauses.html

PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 12:40 pm
by ~darkelfgirl~
Hehe, thanks guys for your help^^

Thanks for the website, Eric^^.

This gov't assignment is very....interesting (in a negative annoying way). I spent most of the morning searching to see if some statements were constitutional or not and had to find evidence in the constitution and all that mumbo-jumbo. Thank God I'm not majoring in politics or law. Yay meteorology! I can have my head in the clouds all day long....or I can be a stormchaser.

PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 5:54 pm
by Mithrandir
I still thing meteorologists should be people who study meteors. ;)

Sorry for the sidetrack!

PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 6:04 pm
by ~darkelfgirl~
Mithrandir wrote:I still thing meteorologists should be people who study meteors. ;)

Sorry for the sidetrack!


XD Of course. I wonder who came up with that name for "studying the weather". I'd prefer weatherperson or weatherologist. Everything has to be complicated, eh?

PostPosted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 11:07 am
by termyt
I've been accused of being something of a whetherologist. But I suppose that doesn't account for much here.

PostPosted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 11:09 am
by ~darkelfgirl~
termyt wrote:I've been accused of being something of a whetherologist. But I suppose that doesn't account for much here.


Huh? Whetherologist?