The article establishes the manner of election and the qualifications of members of each body. Representatives must be at least 25 years old， be a citizen of the United States for seven years， and live in the state they represent. Senators must be at least 30 years old， be a citizen for nine years， and live in the state they represent.
Section 1 reads，“All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States， which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.”This gives Congress more than simply the responsibility to establish the rules governing its proceedings and for the punishment of its members；it places the power of the government primarily in Congress.
Section 8 enumerates the legislative powers. The powers listed and all other powers are made the exclusive responsibility of the legislative branch.
Section 9 provides a list of eight specific limits on congressional power and Section 10 limits the rights of the states.
Article II： Executive power
Section 1 creates the presidency. The section states that the executive power is vested in a President. The presidential term is four years and the Vice President serves the identical term. This section originally set the method of electing the President and Vice President， but this method has been superseded by theTwelfth Amendment.
Qualifications. The Presidentmust be a natural born citizen of the United States， at least35 years old and a resident of the United States for at least 14years.
Succession. Section 1 specifies that the Vice President succeeds to the presidency if the President is removed， unable to discharge the powers and duties of office， dies while in office， or resigns. Today the 25th Amendment states that the Vice President becomes President upon the death or disability of the President.
Pay. The President receives“Compensation”for being the president， and this compensation may not be increased or decreased during the president s term in office. The President may not receive other compensation from either the United States or any of the individual states.
Oath of office. The final clause creates the presidential oath to preserve， protect， and defend the Constitution.
Section 2 grants substantive powers to the President：
The President is the Commander in Chief of the armed forces， and of the state militias when these are called into federal service.
The President may require opinions of the principal officers of the federal government.
The President may grant reprieves and pardons， except in cases of impeachment（ i.e. ， the President cannot pardon himself or herself to escape impeachment by Congress） .
Section 2 grants and limits the President s appointment powers：
The President may make treaties， with the advice and consent of the Senate， provided two-thirds of the Senators who are present agree.
With the advice and consent of the Senate， the Presidentmay appoint ambassadors， other public ministers and consuls， judges of the Supreme Court， and all other officers of the United States whose appointments are not otherwise described in the Constitution.
Congress may give the power to appoint lower officers to the President alone， to the courts， or to the heads of departments.
The President may make any of these appointments during a congressional recess. Such a“recess appointment”expires at the end of the next session of Congress.
Section 3 opens by describing the President s relations with Congress：
The President reports on the state of the union.
The President may convene either House， or both Houses， of Congress.
When the two Houses of Congress cannot agree on the time of adjournment， the President may adjourn them to some future date.
Section 3 adds：
The President receives ambassadors；
The President sees that the laws are faithfully executed；
The President commissions all the offices of the federal government.
Section 4 provides for removal of the President and other federal officers. The President is removed on impeachment for， and conviction of treason， bribery， or other high crimes and misdemeanors.
Article III： J udicial power
ArticleⅢdescribes the court system （ the judicial branch） ， including the Supreme Court. The article requires that there be one court called the Supreme Court； Congress， at its discretion， can create lower courts， whose judgments and orders are reviewable by the Supreme Court. ArticleⅢalso creates the right to trial by jury in all criminal cases， defines the crime of treason， and charges Congress with providing for a punishment for it. This article also sets the kinds of cases that may be heard by the federal judiciary， which cases the Supreme Court may hear first （ called original jurisdiction） ， and that all other cases heard by the Supreme Court are by appeal under such regulations as the Congress shall make.