Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Reasons Why Investment Trusts Trade at a Discount The WritePass Journal

Reasons Why Investment Trusts Trade at a Discount Abstract Reasons Why Investment Trusts Trade at a Discount Abstract IntroductionReasons for discounting Investment TrustsMisestimating the Net Asset Value (NAV)Agency Costs and Managerial AbilityTaxesInvestor SentimentConclusion ReferencesRelated Abstract The fact that investment trusts and close-end funds in general trade at a discount has elicited debates among financial scholars and practitioners, often referred to as the closed-end puzzle. Based on this, this paper explores and explains some of the reasons that investment trusts trade at a discount. It also provides an in-depth explanation of characteristics of close-ended funds and conditions that lead to the classification of the share price as either a discount or a premium. Investment trusts trading at a discount are those trading at prices that are below their net asset value. Those trading at a price higher than the net asset value are considered as being sold at a premium. Some of the main reasons that are explored in this paper include miscalculation of the net asset values of the investment trust, taxes on realized capital gains, agency costs, managerial abilities and investor sentiment. Even with the explanations that are provided in this paper, the closed-end fund prize puzzle continues to be debated upon and researched. Introduction The fact that investment trusts often trade at a discount is an aspect that has drawn interests from academics and practitioners in the field of finance. To have a better understanding of these reasons, it is ideal to provide an exhaustive definition of investment trusts. Investment trusts, which are typical to the United Kingdom, are defined by Barnhart and Rosenstein (2010) as types of investment firms that are formed with the primary aim of holding securities for other companies and the obtainment of capital from the public issue of shares trading on the stock market. They are also referred to as closed-end funds because they only offer a fixed quantity of shares that new investors can purchase from already existing shareholders (Hartzell et al., 2006). The prices of shares of investment trusts are determined by the forces of supply and demand in the share market. As a consequence, there are incidents where the price of a share may either be higher or lower than its net asset valu e. Whenever a share trades at a price that is higher than its net asset value, it is considered to be trading at a premium. On the contrary, if a share trades at a value that is lower that its net asset value, it is considered to be trading at a discount (Berk Stanton, 2007). In this regard, this report intends to discuss reasons why they trade at a discount. Reasons for discounting Investment Trusts One main characteristic of investment trusts and closed-end funds in general is the fact that they are permanent capital ventures and thus, the shares’ supply is fixed (Chan et al., 2008). Numerous attempts that have been made by researchers and practitioners to explain the investment trust discounts, and have resulted in conflicting results, commonly referred to as the closed-end fund puzzle. Even though these funds are known to trade at discounts, it is important to note that newly opened investment trusts and closed-end funds in general, usually begin trading at a premium of approximately 10% of their net asset value. After their initial premium trading, they shift towards trading at a discount that is at average rate of 10% within the first 120 days. After which, discounts remain substantial. In case closed-end funds are closed or terminated, there is an increase in their share prices, which in turn eliminates the existent discounts (Cherkes et al., 2009). Explanations for investment trust discounts that have been made by researchers include the risk of liquidity, the past and future performance of shares on the market and the miscalculation of the fund’s net asset value. Investor sentiment is also another reason for discount trading in investment trusts (Yanran Liyan, 2007). This section intends to provide a more in-depth discussion of these reasons. Misestimating the Net Asset Value (NAV) This reason has been pointed out by Halkos and Krintas (2006), who argue that such miscalculations of the NAV can result from a possible accumulation of capital gains illiquid assets that had not been realized. The reason why funds with high capital appreciations that have been unrealized ought to trade at a discounted share price is that potential holders of such funds will assume a potential tax liability. In a research that was carried out by Kousenidis et al. (2011) on the effect of liquidity on closed-end funds, he established that there is a possibility of illiquid assets to be traded at a discount to provide higher expected returns. In support of inaccuracy of NAV measurement as a reason for discounts in closed-end fund trading, Yanran and Liyan(2007)suggested that when closed-end funds own large amounts illiquid assets or restricted stock that are not fairly trading in the market, their NAVs can fail to provide an accurate reflection of their true value. As a consequence of this, the shares might either trade at a lower or higher value than the NAV. Investment trust discounts are also affected by restricted stock holdings. However, given that such holdings are often quite small or at a zero value, they do not hold as valid reasons for investment trusts trading at a discount. For investment trusts, there is usually no assurance that there will always be an available market. Therefore, this lack of an assured redemption of shares makes their valuation to be discounted. In addition to this, investment trusts that hold relatively liquid securities are valued lower than their net asset values (NAVs) at the marketpla ce (Cherkes et al., 2009). Putting appropriate measures in place to avoid miscalculation of the trust net asset value is vital to solve this issue. Agency Costs and Managerial Ability Discounts in closed-end funds could be a reflection of poor performance in the management of the fund or an overcharge of management fees (Bradley et al., 2010). Agency costs may also vary according to the agency issues or conflicts that may occur due to different interests between agents and principals. Managerial abilities have also been listed by researchers as being among the main factors that determine whether investment trusts can trade at a premium or a discount. The theory that investment trusts can trade at a discount if the managers charge a fee was originally proposed by Boudreaux in 1973 (Berk Stanton, 2007). He suggested that if fund managers charge investors a fee but fail to add value to their investments, then the value of the fund is likely to be less than its NAV. In a case where managers add value to the investment trust, the reason why it might trade at a discount is when investors are made to believe that the funds’ managers are not good at investing thei r funds. If investors believe that their money is being managed by people who are good at selecting viable investments, then the fund will trade at a premium. In a research carried out on the ownership of closed-end funds Cherkes et al.(2009) established that investment trusts with larger percentage of insider ownership are likely to trade at higher discounts. This is because investors of funds that are selling at higher discounts stand a chance of receiving windfall gains in case the funds undergo immediate liquidation at their net asset value. He also established that higher expense ratios lead to higher discounts of funds because management fees are considered as being deadweight losses. Thus, discounts are used to represent the capitalization of the management fees value. Management of trusts also affects their future performances in the market, which also determine whether investment trusts are to be traded at a discount or premium. Halkos and Krintas (2006) argue that in cases where investment trusts are managed in a highly professional manner and with a positive track record, investors may have the will to pay a premium for a share of the funds. This is also due to the fact that such trusts are often expected to maintain their superior performances in future. On the other hand, funds that are expected to underperform in the market are expected to be traded at higher discounts, mainly because of the scepticism that potential investors may have for the fund (Berk Stanton, 2007). Estimation of future performance of investment trusts can be done by comparing trends in the NAV, which are estimated on a frequent basis. It can also be done by evaluating the managerial capabilities of the fund. It can be thus argued that investment trusts whose management has a good reputation tend to perform well in the market and therefore, trade at a premium. On the contrary, poorly managed trusts fail to thrive in the market and therefore, are likely to trade at a discount. Taxes Another reason why investment trusts trade at a discount is taxes. According to Jin(2006), full taxes on the realized capital gains of a fund are paid for by the current shareholders, even though the highest percentage of their gains was accumulated before the investors bought the shares. Based on this, it can be argued that funds whose accumulated gains are large ought to trade at a price lower than their NAVs also suggests that investment trusts that have a high appreciation of unrealized capital sell at discounts because holders of such funds assume potential tax liabilities that depend on the holding periods of the investors. Berk and Stanton (2007) posit that discounts in closed-end funds are partially caused by the fact that investors usually lose valuable opportunities to trade tax because of holding shares in closed-end funds. Some of the tax trading approaches include individual portfolio movement. On comparing British and U.S. closed-end funds, Cherkes et al.(2009) establis hed that British funds do not have the freedom of distributing capital gains as the US funds do. In addition, shareholders have no liability in case the invested capital gains tax, except if they decide to put the holdings that they have in the fund up for sale. Yet U.S. and British closed-end funds behave in a quite similar manner. Thus, it can be concluded that discounts in investment trusts and closed-end funds cannot be explained based on country-specific tax factors. Investor Sentiment Many researchers have focused on the aspect of investor sentiment as a reason for discounts in investment trust trading. This hypothesis was proposed Lee, Shleifer and Thaler in 1991 (Yanran Liyan, 2007). According to them, premiums and discounts in closed-end funds are determined by the attitudes of opinions that investors have about them. To explain this hypothesis, two kinds of investors are identified. These are the noise investors and rational investors. Whereas the expectations of rational investors on their asset returns are rational, noise investors’ expectations are influenced by sentiment. They have the tendency of either overestimating or underestimating the expected returns on investment. Therefore, when investment trust shares are traded, noisy and rational investors make their investments based on their respective judgments. Due to the risk associated with assets and the fact that every investor is risk averse, closed-end funds ought to trade at equilibrium pric es that reflect opinions of the noisy and rational investors, which are often discounts. A proposal was made by Halkos and Krintas (2006) that noisy investors tend to concentrate more on the closed-end fund ownership than on the ownership of the underlying assets of the funds. Pessimism by noise traders on the future of fund drives down its price to a value lower than its NAV. This causes rational investors to avoid the buying the fund’s shares because of the risks associated with trading the funds at a discount. Chan et al. (2008) also argue that the sentiment of noise traders is stochastic and, therefore, cannot be accurately predicted by rational traders. Particularly, it is impossible for rational investors to make a perfect forecast whether noise investors will either be pessimistic or optimistic at the time that they intend to sell their assets. Due to the fact that rational traders are careful about the prices with which they will resale their assets, the unpredictable nature of noise traders’ sentiment increases the level of risk on the assets they intend to trade (Kousenidis et al., 2011). The biggest risk associated with noise investors is that they will be pessimistic at the time when rational investors intend to sell their assets, causing a drop in prices. Since there is always a risk of an adverse sentiment shift, the possibility of trading shares at a discount is always existent (Yanran Liyan, 2007). Conclusion This paper has provided an in-depth explanation of some of the reasons why investment trusts usually trade at a discount. Apart from this, other aspects of investment trusts have been explained. One of the main characteristics of investment trusts that has guided the establishment of reasons discussed in this paper is that it is a closed-end fund. This means that supply of shares is fixed, regardless of the market dynamics. Therefore, fluctuations of these funds that result into premiums or discounts are mainly caused by demand factors. The main reasons why investment trusts trade at discounts include the attitudes that investors have on the fund, commonly referred to as investor sentiment, agency costs and managerial abilities, taxes and miscalculation of the net asset value of the fund. However, the factor that is contented upon by most researchers in this field of finance is investor sentiment, which is a behavioural approach of understanding this concept. Some of the other reason s that have been cited in several other researchers include the institutional ownership and performance of the trust in the market. In future research, a more specific research could be carried out by focusing on a specific investment trust in the UK. References Barnhart, S.W. Rosenstein, S., 2010. Exchange†Traded Fund Introductions and Closed†End Fund Discounts and Volume. Financial Review, 45(4), pp.973-94. Berk, J.B. Stanton, R., 2007. Managerial Ability, Compensation, and the Closed†End Fund Discount. The Journal of Finance, 62(2), pp.529-56. Bradley, M., Brav, A., Goldstein, I. Jiang, W., 2010. Activist arbitrage: A study of open-ending attempts of closed-end funds. Journal of Financial Economics, 95(1), pp.1-19. Chan, J.S., Jain, R. Xia, Y., 2008. Market segmentation, liquidity spillover, and closed-end country fund discounts. Journal of Financial Markets, 11(4), pp.377-99. Cherkes, M., Sagi, J. Stanton, R., 2009. A liquidity-based theory of closed-end funds. Review of Financial Studies, 22(1), pp.257-97. Halkos, G.E. Krintas, T.N., 2006. Behavioural and fundamental explanations of discounts on closed end funds: an empirical analysis. Applied Financial Economics, 16(5), pp.395-404. Hartzell, J.C., Sun, L. Titman, S., 2006. The effect of corporate governance on investment: evidence from real estate investment trusts. Real Estate Economics, 34(3), pp.343-76. Jin, L., 2006. Capital gains tax overhang and price pressure. The Journal of Finance, 61(3), pp.1399-431. Kousenidis, D.V., Maditinos, D.I. Ã…  ević, ., 2011. Premium/Discount Of Closed-End Funds As A Measure Of Investor Sentiment: Evidence From Greece. Journal of Applied Business Research, 27(4), pp.29-52. Yanran, W. Liyan, H., 2007. Imperfect Rationality, Sentiment and Closed end fund Puzzle. Economic Research Journal, 3, pp.117-29.

Monday, March 2, 2020

Overview of Atlantic Spotted Dolphin

Overview of Atlantic Spotted Dolphin Atlantic spotted dolphins are active dolphins found in the Atlantic Ocean. These dolphins are distinctive for their spotted coloration, which is present only in adults.   Fast Facts About the Atlantic Spotted Dolphin   Atlantic spotted dolphins are 5-7.5 feet longThey weigh 220-315 poundsThey are often seen in the Bahamas and other warm parts of the Atlantic Ocean Identification Atlantic spotted dolphins have a beautiful spotted coloration that gets darker as the dolphin ages.  Adults have dark spots while calves and juveniles have dark gray backs, lighter gray sides, and a white underside.   These dolphins have a prominent, white-tipped beak, stout bodies, and a prominent dorsal fin.   Classification Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataSubphylum: VertebrataSuperclass: Gnathostomata, TetrapodaClass: MammaliaSubclass: TheriaOrder: CetartiodactylaSuborder: CetancodontaInfraorder: CetaceaSuborder: OdontocetiSuperfamily: OdontocetiFamily: DelphinidaeGenus: StenellaSpecies: frontalis Habitat and Distribution Atlantic spotted dolphins are found in the Atlantic Ocean from New England to Brazil in the west and along the coast of Africa in the east. They prefer tropical, subtropical and warm temperate waters. These dolphins are found in groups that may number more than 200 animals, although they are more often found in groups of 50 or less.   They are acrobatic animals that may leap and bowrider  in the waves created by boats. It is possible that there are two populations of Atlantic spotted dolphins - a coastal population and an offshore population. Offshore dolphins seem to be smaller and have fewer spots. Feeding Atlantic spotted dolphins have 30-42 pairs of cone-shaped teeth. Like other toothed whales, they use their teeth for grasping, rather than chewing, prey.  Their preferred prey are fish, invertebrates, and cephalopods. They usually stay near the ocean surface but may dive up to 200 feet when foraging.  Like other dolphins, they use  echolocation  to find prey. Reproduction Atlantic spotted dolphins are sexually mature when they are between 8-15 years old. The dolphins mate sexually but males and females are not monogamous.  The gestation period is about 11.5 months, after which a single calf about 2.5-4 feet long is born. Calves nurse for up to 5 years. It is thought these dolphins can live about 50 years.   How Would You Like to Talk to a Dolphin? Atlantic spotted dolphins have a complex repertoire of sounds. In general, their main sounds are whistles, clicks, and burst pulse sounds. The sounds are used for long and short range communication, navigation and orientation. The Wild Dolphin Project  studies these sounds in dolphins in the Bahamas and is even trying to develop a two-way communication system between dolphin and humans. Conservation The Atlantic spotted dolphin is listed as data deficient on the IUCN Red List. Threats may include incidental catches in fisheries operations and hunting. These dolphins are occasionally caught in directed fisheries in the Caribbean, where they are hunted for food.

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Religion - Essay Example 206-207). The underlying idea behind the black womanist liberation theory is the liberation, freedom and respect of black women and all other people from all ages, genders, races, sexual tendencies, and ecologies. Moreover, black womanist theologians highlight that the unique experiences of their female ancestors have an immense importance in relation to the idea of God and survival in this world (Kamitsuka & American Academy of Religion, pp. 12-18). From example, notable black womanist theologian Jacquelyn Grant while presenting her critique on the white feminist theology and its racism expressed that black women are the ones that have felt and experienced Jesus more closely as anyone else because of the fact that their suffering have made sense Jesus as their co-suffer (Isherwood & McEwan, pp. 68-70). Since Jesus represented the divine incarnation of the Almighty, therefore they are in turn more closely to the creator of the world. Jesus opted for himself the life of despair, tyranny, inequ ality, weakness, and misery and the same has been the case with the black women, and they are blessed to be a part of the same situation in which Jesus lived his life to give a message to the World (Kamitsuka & American Academy of Religion, pp. 12-18). Therefore, the claim of the black womanist theologians is to own their history, learn from it and aim at creating at a better tomorrow for their upcoming generations (Bradley, pp. 206-207). However, the white feminist theology focuses more on oppression of females in general. This theology aims at recreating the role of women as religious authority in their respective religions to earn respect and power, removal or gender related or more specifically male related elements from the concept of God making it more acceptable to females (Isherwood & McEwan, pp. 68-70). Furthermore, highlighting and glorifying the role and image of females as mothers and wives that are the key stones of the society and the lives of the

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Continuous Assessment on International Human Trafficking Law Essay

Continuous Assessment on International Human Trafficking Law - Essay Example The practical difficulties will first be explored by outlining the historical developments of anti-human trafficking international law. Secondly, this paper will analyse the European Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings 2005 (Convention of 2005) and the ECHR’s approach to international human trafficking in Ranstev v Cyprus and Russia (2010). Finally this paper will recommend appropriate amendments that can improve the Convention of 2005. I. Historical Developments in International Human Trafficking Law Trafficking in human beings has a long â€Å"legal and political history†.2 The term human trafficking was first used in internationally during the early part of the 20th century and even then it was confined to issues relative to white slavery which was a term used in connection with forced prostitution. Therefore the first anti-trafficking convention at international law was the International Agreement for the Suppression of the White Slave Traffic 1 904 which attempted to eliminate the criminal trafficking of females for â€Å"immoral purposes†.3 By 1927, the term white slavery was discontinued as it was perceived to be inadequate in terms of reflecting the real nature of the problem of international human trafficking. As a result a number of international conventions were adopted including the League of Nations’ Suppression of the Trafficking in Women and Children 1921 and the Suppression of the Traffic in Women of Full Age 1933. Neither or these conventions offered a definition of trafficking and were largely concerned with the forced prostitution of women across borders. Moreover, these conventions only dealt with the issue of recruitment as it was perceived that detention in brothels fell outside of international law.4 The United Nations adopted the Convention on Suppression of Trafficking and Exploitation of Prostitution in 1949 which had three significant shortcomings. First it was not a binding convention i n the sense that it only called for cooperation. Secondly, it was based on self-reporting and thirdly, it did not define the term human trafficking.5 The assessment of human trafficking would therefore differ from state to state as each country would have its own definition of trafficking and self-reporting, regardless of how objective could not reflect the real nature of the problem internationally. Moreover, the voluntary cooperative nature of the 1949 Convention could not provide an effective obligation or commitment to reporting and cooperating on the appropriate responses to international human trafficking. By the decades of the 1990s, national governments, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations became increasingly concerned about the problems associated with transnational criminal organizations and the attending problems of human trafficking. Thus the UN implemented the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in 2000. At the same time th e UN adopted the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children (Anti-Trafficking Protocol 2000).6 Significantly, the Anti-Trafficking Protocol 2000 provided for an agreed upon definition of human trafficking, therefore facilitating a harmonized approach to defining human trafficking and as a result

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Football Referees: Friends or Foes Essay example -- essays research pa

Football Referees: Friends or Foes? In football referees can be categorized into three types –Blind, Deaf, and Dumb. Being a football player myself, I have experienced all of these different types and I am still trying to discover which one I like best. The referees categorized as blind were cursed with the inability to see more than two feet in front of their faces. No matter how blatantly obvious a penalty appears to be, this type of referee will flabbergast the stadium by making no call. In fact, the absence of penalties has led fans of the game to speculate as to the real cause of these referees’ optical challenges. Some suggest that perhaps their eyes have nothing wrong with them at all. Just maybe, the bright stadium lights draw in all of their attention. While they focus on the lights, watching the game becomes nearly impossible. Another suggestion is that they left their glasses in their other striped shirt and the whole game is nothing but a blur. Regardless of the cause of their visual disturbance, blind refs continue to shock the crowd with their inability to see the game as well as any fan seated in the cheap seats of the stadium. The referees labeled as deaf I like to consider as the aristocrats of all the referees. These refs believe that they were born with a superior ability to see the game. They believe that wherever they position themselves on the field, they have the capability to see the game better than any other individual. This â€Å"ability† of thei...

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Effects of Too Much Technology in Children Essay

The effects of technology can be serious; from children not making it outside to ADD and ADHD. Most children spend more time in front of a television than they do playing outside with friends (â€Å"TV†). As more technology comes out every day, we have to set a limit for children. Being around too much technology can eventually affect you mentally. There are a lot of things now that could bring on ADD or ADHD, but there could be another cause. Studies have shown that technology is starting to play a major part. A study at Iowa State University showed that people who play video games for more than two hours a day have double the chances of developing an attention disorder (Pytel). Using too much technology can definitely affect someone mentally. Another setback about using too much technology is that it’s driving children away from going outside and playing with friends. Some children’s only contact with nature is through Discovery Channel or Nation Geographic Channel. You will barely ever see kids playing at the local park anymore. Not only has too much technology lead to driving kids away from nature, but also childhood obesity, laziness, and addiction to games and internet because of it. Parents need to take action and take their kids outside instead of letting them sit in front of a TV all day long (Mehta). Taking action is a must in order for kids to get away from the technological world. A big part of kids not making it outside is because of the media world advertising things electronic. Nowadays, everything from a cereal box to a TV show or commercial is advertising either a game or a TV show. Something’s advertise online virtual worlds that you can make your own â€Å"you†. Not only could this bring your child to more technology, but let them live in a virtual world and not the real world. Companies make online games that you have to tend to every day or you will lose coins or some sort of virtual money, thus bringing children even closer to the world of technology. Another thing is that television advertisements. On almost every children’s TV show there is a commercial for some video game or TV show that they just have to see. When kids see other kids, for example, playing video games online or off, they think that it’s okay to do that too. Notice that companies never set a limit on how much you can play every day. Instead of advertising video games, why don’t they start advertising getting outside and getting moving? Advertisements are a huge influence on kids. Too much technology usage can affect a child seriously. From childhood obesity and game addictions to ADD and ADHD, technology is starting to effect the next generation of tomorrow in a negative way.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

The U.S. Constitution Articles, Amendments and Preamble

In just four hand-written pages, the Constitution gives us no less than the owners manual to the greatest form of government the world has ever known. Preamble While the Preamble has no legal standing, it explains the purpose of the Constitution and reflects the goals of the Founders for the new government they were creating.The Preamble explains in just a few words what the people could expect their new government to provide them -- the defense of their liberty. Article I - The Legislative Branch Article I, Section 1Establishes the  legislature  -- Congress -- as the first of the three branches of governmentArticle I, Section 2Defines the  House of RepresentativesArticle I, Section 3Defines the  SenateArticle I, Section 4Defines how members of Congress are to be elected, and how often Congress must meetArticle I, Section 5Establishes procedural rules of CongressArticle I, Section 6Establishes that members of Congress will be paid for their service, that members cannot be detained while traveling to and from meetings of Congress, and that members can hold no other elected or appointed federal government  office while serving in Congress.Article I, Section 7Defines the legislative process --  how bills become lawsArticle I, Section 8Defines the  powers of CongressArticle I, Section 9Defines the legal limitations on Congress powersArticle I, Section 10Defines specific powers denied to the states Article II, Section 1 Establishes the offices of the  President  and Vice President, establishes the  Electoral CollegeArticle II, Section 2Defines the  powers of the President  and establishes the  Presidents CabinetArticle II, Section 3Defines miscellaneous duties of the PresidentArticle II, Section 4Addresses the removal from office of the President by  impeachment Article III -- The Judicial Branch Article III, Section 1 Establishes the  Supreme Court  and defines the terms of service of all U.S. federal judgesArticle III, Section 2Defines the  jurisdiction of the Supreme Court  and lower federal courts, and guarantees trial by jury in criminal courtsArticle III, Section 3Defines the crime of treason Article IV -- Concerning the States Article IV, Section 1 Requires that each state must respect the laws of all other statesArticle IV, Section 2Ensures that citizens of each state will be treated fairly and equally in all states, and requires the interstate extradition of criminalsArticle IV, Section 3Defines how new states may be incorporated as part of the United States, and defines the control of federally-owned landsArticle IV, Section 4Ensures each state a Republican form of Government (functioning as a representative democracy), and protection against invasion Article V  -  Amendment Process Defines the method of  amending the Constitution Article VI  -  Legal Status of the Constitution Defines the Constitution as the supreme law of the United States Article VII  -  Signatures Amendments The first 10 amendments comprise  the Bill of Rights. 1st AmendmentEnsures the five basic freedoms: freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom to assemble and freedom to petition the government to remedy (redress) grievances2nd AmendmentEnsures the right to own firearms (defined by the Supreme Court as an individual right)3rd AmendmentEnsures private citizens that they cannot be forced to house U.S.soldiers during peace4th AmendmentProtects against police searches or seizures with out a warrant issued by a court and based on probable cause5th AmendmentEstablishes the rights of citizens accused of crimes6th AmendmentEstablishes the rights of citizens in regard to trials and juries7th AmendmentGuarantees the right to trial by jury in federal civil court cases8th AmendmentProtects against cruel and unusual criminal punishments and extraordinarily large fines9th AmendmentStates that just because a right is not specifically listed in the Constitution, does not mean that right should not be respected10th AmendmentSt ates that powers not granted to the federal government are granted either to the states or the people (the basis of  federalism)11th AmendmentClarifies the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court12th AmendmentRedefines how the  Electoral College  chooses the President and Vice President13th AmendmentAbolishes slavery in all states14th AmendmentGuarantees citizens of all states rights on both the state and federal level15th AmendmentProhibits the use of race as a qualification to vote16th AmendmentAuthorizes the collection of income taxes17th AmendmentSpecifies that U.S. Senators will be elected by the people, rather than the state legislatures18th AmendmentProhibited the sale or manufacture of alcoholic beverages in the U.S. (Prohibition)19th AmendmentProhibited the use of gender as a qualification to vote (Womens Suffrage)20th AmendmentCreates new starting dates for sessions of Congress, addresses the death of Presidents before they are sworn in21st AmendmentRepealed the 18th Amend ment22nd AmendmentLimits to two the number of 4-year terms a President can serve.br/>23rd AmendmentGrants the District of Columbia three electors in the  Electoral College24th AmendmentProhibits the charging of a tax (Poll Tax) in order to vote in federal elections25th AmendmentFurther clarifies the process of  presidential succession26th AmendmentGrants 18-year olds the right to vote27th AmendmentEstablishes that laws raising the pay of members of Congress cannot take effect until after an election