What does article 1 section 9 of the Constitution mean in simple terms?

Asked by: Mr. Cristobal Abernathy  |  Last update: February 2, 2026
Score: 4.2/5 (53 votes)

Article I, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution places limits on Congress's power, essentially saying what Congress cannot do, protecting individual rights and ensuring checks on government, such as prohibiting ex post facto laws (punishing after the fact), banning bills of attainder (punishing without trial), limiting habeas corpus suspension (only in emergencies), and preventing titles of nobility or secret foreign gifts.

What is the meaning of article 1 section 9 of the Constitution?

The Meaning

Article I, Section 9 specifically prohibits Congress from legislating in certain areas. In the first clause, the Constitution bars Congress from banning the importation of slaves before 1808. In the second and third clauses, the Constitution specifically guarantees rights to those accused of crimes.

What is Article 9 in simple words?

Article 9, Constitution of India 1950

No person shall be a citizen of India by virtue of article 5, or be deemed to be a citizen of India by virtue of article 6 or article 8, if he has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of any foreign State.

What does Article 1 Section 9 Clause 1 mean quizlet?

Created by. Clause 1. Congress cannot make laws to stop the buying and selling of slaves until 1808 (Slavery was not made illegal until 1865; 13th Amendment). Tap the card to flip 👆

What is Article 1 Section 9 Clause 2 simplified?

Clause 2 Habeas Corpus

The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.

U.S. Constitution Article 1 Section 9

26 related questions found

What taxes are forbidden in Article 1 Section 9?

No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken. No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.

Did the founding fathers put God in the Constitution?

No, the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly mention God or a supreme being in its main text, a deliberate choice by the Founding Fathers to establish a secular government and protect religious freedom, though it does contain a date reference ("Year of our Lord") and the First Amendment prevents religious tests for office, reflecting a consensus on separation of church and state despite their personal faith. 

What does article 1 section 9 of the Constitution prohibit Congress from doing?

Section 9: Powers Denied Congress

No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed. No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken. No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.

What is the Article 1 Section 9 Clause 1 importation of People?

The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.

What is Article 1 Section 9 Class 7?

Article I, Section 9, Clause 7: No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.

What does Section 9 of the Constitution mean?

9. (1) Everyone is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection and benefit of the law. (2) Equality includes the full and equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms.

What are the key points of section 9?

Article 1, Section 9

  • The Congress is expressly forbidden to prohibit the importation of slaves or migration before 1808.
  • The Congress is expressly forbidden to suspend habeas corpus except during a rebellion or invasion.
  • The Congress is expressly forbidden to pass a bill of attainder or ex post facto law.

When has Article 9 been violated?

One of the most infamous examples of violations of Article 9 occurred during World War II, when the Nazi regime in Germany implemented a policy of arbitrary arrests and detention of individuals deemed to be enemies of the state.

What does Article 1 Section 9 Clause 8 mean?

No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.

What is the Article 9 of the Constitution?

9. No person shall be a citizen of India by virtue of article 5, or be deemed to be a citizen of India by virtue of article 6 or article 8, if he has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of any foreign State.

What does Article 1 of the Constitution explain?

Article I describes the design of the legislative branch of US Government -- the Congress. Important ideas include the separation of powers between branches of government (checks and balances), the election of Senators and Representatives, the process by which laws are made, and the powers that Congress has.

What are the interpretations of Article 9?

It remains the basis of Japanese defense policy. Japan does, nonetheless, maintain men under arms, because Article 9 has been interpreted to mean that it is acceptable to maintain purely defensive military forces, with no offensive capability. Japan's Supreme Court has refused to overrule this interpretation.

Can a president receive money from foreign countries?

Even though heads of state have traditionally exchanged gifts as expressions of goodwill, the Constitution (Article I, Section 9) prohibits anyone in the US Government from receiving a personal gift from a foreign head of state without the consent of Congress.

What does Article 1 Section 9 of the Constitution say about martial law?

The ability to suspend habeas corpus is related to the imposition of martial law. Article 1, Section 9 of the US Constitution states, "The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it."

Is article 9 still in effect?

Article 9 of its Constitution prevents Japan from increasing the number of treaty allies since it cannot pledge the full-spectrum of collective self-defense. Post-war Constitution of Japan is the only constitution in the world that has never been amended since its adoption during the occupation of Japan.

Does Article 9 promote peace?

Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution renounces war as a means of settling international disputes and prohibits the maintenance of armed forces and other war potential.

What are the three limitations in section 9?

In Section 9, there are three limitations on the power of Congress to deny people rights. What are those three limitations? The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended; no bills of attainder passed; no ex post facto laws passed.

What did Stephen Hawking say about God?

Stephen Hawking stated that science offers better explanations for the universe's origins than religion, concluding there is no God or divine creator, and that the universe arose spontaneously from nothing according to physical laws, not divine will, seeing no need for a higher power to set things in motion. While initially suggesting God might have set the laws, he later clarified he was an atheist, believing the simplest explanation is no God and that humans invented God to explain the unexplainable, which science now addresses.
 

What did Albert Einstein say about Jesus?

Though Jewish, Albert Einstein expressed deep admiration for Jesus Christ, calling him a "luminous figure" whose personality "pulsates in every word" of the Gospels, acknowledging Jesus's historical existence and his profound, "divine" teachings, even if some sayings echoed earlier prophets, while advocating for a purified Christianity stripped of priestly dogma, focusing on Jesus's ethical message for humanity.
 

Do deists believe in Jesus?

Yes, deists generally acknowledge Jesus as a historical figure and moral teacher, but they reject his divinity, miracles, and role as Savior, viewing him as a wise man whose ethical teachings align with natural law rather than supernatural revelation. While historical deists like the American Founders admired Jesus's morality, they denied doctrines like the Trinity and the Bible's divine inspiration, seeing God as a "clockmaker" who set the universe in motion without interference.