Our Living Constitution, Part 2 - Reading Comprehension
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Our Living Constitution, Part 2 Reading Comprehension
     Our Living Constitution, Part 2 reading comprehension (sample is shown below)


Our Living Constitution, Part 2
By Phyllis Naegeli 		  
1     In the 20th century, many things happened. There were two world wars. Many other conflicts and smaller wars occurred. We were becoming a world power. All the time, our country was growing and changing. And our laws had to change with us.
 
2     Amendment 16 says Congress can tax incomes. After the Civil War, Congress passed an income tax. We needed to pay our war debts. At first, the Supreme Court said it was O.K. Then they changed and said it wasn't O.K. because it was a direct tax. It needed to be evenly divided by population according to the Constitution. Congress decided to change the Constitution. They passed the 16th Amendment. Now we have an income tax. The government has the money it needs to run many programs.
 
3     Amendment 17 changed the way Senators are elected. Article 1 of the Constitution says state legislatures will pick Senators. This Amendment says the people will elect the Senators in their state. Now, Senators are accountable to the people they serve.
 
4     Amendment 18 outlawed alcoholic beverages. Many people didn't like alcohol. They thought if it were outlawed things would be better. They believed it would make people good. These people convinced Congress that they were right. It was ratified in 1919. After it was added to the Constitution, it was hard to enforce. The government didn't have enough people to find those who disobeyed. Some people said their rights were taken away by this amendment. It was repealed by Amendment 21 in 1933.

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