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How can the Constitution be amended? When was the last amendment to the Constitution approved? Should the process for amending the Constitution be made easier?

2006-09-06 20:04:30 · 7 answers · asked by pnoiz1 2 in Politics & Government Government

7 answers

Article Five describes the process necessary to amend the Constitution.

It establishes two methods of proposing amendments: by Congress or by a national convention requested by the states.

Under the first method, Congress can propose an amendment by a two-thirds vote (of a quorum, not necessarily of the entire body) of the Senate and of the House of Representatives.

Under the second method, two-thirds of the state legislatures may convene and "apply" to Congress to hold a national convention, whereupon Congress must call such a convention for the purpose of considering amendments.

As of mid-2006, only the first method (proposal by Congress) has been used.

Once proposed—whether submitted by a national convention or by Congress—amendments must then be ratified by three-fourths of the states to take effect.

Article Five gives Congress the option of requiring ratification by state legislatures or by special conventions assembled in the states.

The convention method of ratification has been used only once (to approve the 21st Amendment). Article Five currently places only one limitation on the amending power—that no amendment can deprive a state of its equal representation in the Senate without that state's consent.

2006-09-06 20:06:35 · answer #1 · answered by BeachBum 7 · 2 0

The last amendment to the U.S. Constitution was back around 1972. It was the voting amendment which allowed 18 year-olds to vote - as there were many complaints that the youths were dying in Vietnam never having the right to vote. No, the amendment process should not be made easier. The very excellence of the august document was in the ability to modify it, but only with difficulty, not arbitrarily or haphazardly. Politics is never perfect, so it needs to be perfectly careful and circumspect.

2006-09-06 20:11:27 · answer #2 · answered by voltaire 3 · 0 0

See Article V (link below).

The process starts with approval of two-thirds of both chambers of Congress, or with two-thirds of the state legislatures calling a Constitutional Convention. Then, the proposed amendment must be approved by 3/4 of the state legislatures.

The 27th Amendment was proposed 1789 and ratified 1992.

2006-09-06 20:07:29 · answer #3 · answered by coragryph 7 · 1 0

Article V of the form provides 2 procedures by making use of which amendments may well be proposed and approved Congress proposes amendments. As is the case with the flag burning modification, the two residences of Congress approve by making use of two-thirds votes a decision calling for the modification. The decision does not require the president's signature. To grow to be clever, the proposed modification ought to then be "ratified" or approved by making use of the legislatures of three-fourths of the states. Congress normally places a time decrease of 7 years for ratification by making use of the states. The states propose amendments. The legislatures of two-thirds of the states vote to call for a custom at which constitutional amendments may well be proposed. Amendments proposed by making use of the convention might returned require ratification by making use of the legislatures of three-fourths of the states. All twenty-seven amendments, such as the bill of Rights have been further in the time of the 1st approach. The shape has by no skill been amended making use of the 2nd technique. at the same time as over 10,000 have been proposed, purely seventeen amendments to the form have been observed because of the fact that very final ratification of the bill of Rights in 1791.

2016-10-14 10:04:29 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0 0

HELL TO THE NO!!!!! We do not need a way to amend the Constitution easier. We have a "wanna-be dictator" in office now using the Constitution as toilet paper. That is the last thing we need...

2006-09-06 20:07:26 · answer #5 · answered by linus_van_pelt68 4 · 0 0

It should be amended to kill conservatives on sight.

2006-09-06 20:07:49 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1 4

search the dictionary

2006-09-06 20:06:34 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0 1

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