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The Amendment ProcessCh 3 Sec 3

+Amendment

Definition: A written change made to the Constitution

+The Amendment Process

Outlined in Article V of the U.S. Constitution

The Process is purposely grueling Why?

+Amendment Proposal

Can be proposed in 2 ways Congress- w/ a two-thirds

vote in both houses States- Legislatures of

two-thirds of the states (34 of 50) can ask Congress to call a national convention to propose an amendment (Never been used successfully)

After an Amendment is proposed it must be ratified by three-fourths of the states (38 of 50)

+Amendment Ratification

Can be ratified in 2 ways Sending the proposed

amendment to the state legislatures for approval (all but 1 have been approved by this method)

Sending the proposed amendment to state conventions for consideration

27th Amendment Ratification by year

+Amendment Process

If the Amendment is ratified by the required number of people then it gets written into the Constitution

If the people do not like the effects of the Amendment it can be repealed, or canceled, by another Amendment

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What happens if an amendment fails to gain ¾ of states’ approval?Answer: It does NOT become a part of our constitution. Most amendments today have expiration dates and eventually disappear into memory.

+Failed Amendments

Anti-Title Amendment (1810): Receiving title of nobility from foreign country takes away citizenship

Slavery Amendment (1861): Prohibits Congress from passing law that could outlaw slavery

Child Labor Amendment (1926): Congress power to regulate child labor

Equal Rights Amendment (1972): No law denied by US or state on account of sex

Washington DC Voting Rights Amendment (1978): DC equal to a state in Congress