What is the process for amending the US Constitution?

The process for amending the United States Constitution is outlined in Article V of the document. It involves two steps and is largely a cooperative effort between the states. The first step is for Congress to propose the amendment, either through a two-thirds vote of both Houses of Congress or by a proposal from two-thirds of the state legislatures. If the amendment is proposed by Congress, it must then be ratified by three-fourths of the states. This can be done either by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states or by conventions in three-fourths of the states. If the amendment is proposed by two-thirds of the state legislatures, the amendment must then be ratified by three-fourths of the states in the same way as above. In Rhode Island, the General Assembly can propose an amendment to Congress if two-thirds of both Houses vote in favor of it. The amendment would then need to be ratified by the legislatures or conventions in at least 38 of the other states. Once an amendment is ratified, it becomes part of the United States Constitution. This process has been used successfully over the years to add to, modify, or remove rights from the US Constitution, including the most recent amendment to the US Constitution, which was ratified in 1992.

Related FAQs

What is judicial review and how does it affect constitutional law?
What is the doctrine of federalism?
What is the basic structure of the US Constitution?
What is the scope of the due process clause of the US Constitution?
What is the purpose of the Fourteenth Amendment?
What is the scope of the educational clause of the US Constitution?
What is the process for amending the US Constitution?
What is the impact of the First Amendment free speech clause?
How has the Supreme Court interpreted the Ninth Amendment of the US Constitution?
What is the purpose of the Eighth Amendment?

What is the process for amending the US Constitution?

Related FAQs

Related Blog Posts