What is ONE way amendments are added to the Constitution? (2 points)
One way amendments are added to the Constitution is through the formal proposal and ratification process.
One way amendments are added to the Constitution is through the proposal and ratification process. This process involves two steps: proposal and ratification.
1. Proposal: The first step is the proposal of an amendment. There are two methods for proposing amendments to the Constitution:
- Method 1: Congress can propose an amendment by a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
- Method 2: A national convention can be requested by two-thirds of the state legislatures. If this convention is convened, the proposed amendment must be approved by a two-thirds majority vote.
2. Ratification: The second step is the ratification of the proposed amendment. There are also two methods for ratifying amendments to the Constitution:
- Method 1: The proposed amendment can be ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths (38) of the states. This is the most common method of ratification.
- Method 2: The proposed amendment can be ratified by special state conventions called by legislatures in three-fourths (38) of the states. This method has only been used once, for the ratification of the 21st Amendment.
Once an amendment is proposed and ratified, it becomes part of the Constitution.
One way amendments are added to the Constitution is through a formal process outlined in Article V of the United States Constitution. This process requires the proposal and ratification of an amendment, and it can be done in two ways:
1. Proposal: There are two methods by which an amendment can be proposed:
a. Congress: Two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate must vote in favor of the proposed amendment. This requires a supermajority in both chambers of Congress to initiate the amendment process.
b. Convention: Two-thirds of the state legislatures can call for a constitutional convention to propose amendments. However, this method has never been used to date.
2. Ratification: Once an amendment is proposed, it needs to be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures or by special ratifying conventions in three-fourths of the states. The method of ratification is determined by Congress when proposing the amendment, and it can either be done by state legislatures or conventions.
It is important to note that this is just one way amendments are added to the Constitution. The Founding Fathers intentionally designed this process to be rigorous and deliberate to ensure that any changes made to the Constitution have widespread support and are not easily enacted.