How can the Constitution be amended?

2 answers

The Constitution can be amended through the following process:

1. Proposal of an Amendment: An amendment can be proposed either by Congress or by a national convention called by Congress on request of two-thirds (currently 34 out of 50) of the state legislatures. This means that an amendment can be proposed either by a two-thirds vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a convention requested by two-thirds of the state legislatures.

2. Ratification of an Amendment: Once an amendment is proposed, it must be ratified by three-fourths (currently 38 out of 50) of the states. This can be done either by the state legislatures or by state ratifying conventions.

- The most common method of ratification is through the state legislatures, where three-fourths of them must approve the amendment.

- However, the Constitution also allows for the option of a state ratifying convention, which is a gathering of delegates elected by the people of each state specifically for the purpose of ratifying an amendment. This method has only been used once in history for the 21st Amendment, which repealed Prohibition.

It's important to note that once an amendment is ratified and becomes part of the Constitution, it can only be changed or repealed through the same amendment process, ensuring that amendments are not easily altered.
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