U.S. Government Chapter 3 – Section 2

Amendment

Formal Amendment

Bill of Rights

Section Objectives:

Identify the four different ways by which the Constitution may be formally changed (amended).

Explain how the formal amendment process illustrates the principles of federalism and popular sovereignty.

4.6 –Understand the concept of federalism 5.4 –Understand the U.S. Constitution as a living

document in both principle and practice

Amendment is proposed by 2/3 vote in each house of Congress

Ratified by ¾ of state legislatures (38 states)

26 Amendments have been adopted this way

Amendment is proposed by 2/3 vote in each house of Congress

States call conventions to ratify an amendment

¾ states needed to ratify

One amendment adopted this way (21st)

Proposed by a national convention that has been called for by 2/3 of the state legislatures

Ratified by ¾ of state legislatures (38 states)

No amendments have been adopted this way

Proposed by a national convention that has been called for by 2/3 of the state legislatures

Ratified by ¾ of state conventions (38 states)

No amendments have been adopted this way

Amendments are always proposed at the national level and ratified at the state level

2/3 votes to propose, ¾ votes to ratify

Nearly 15,000 joint resolutions have called for amendments to Constitution since 1789

Only 33 have been sent to the states for ratification

Of those, only 27 have passed.

That is 1 out of every 555 resolutions that ends up going to the states for ratification.

(In other words, a proposed amendment has 1/5 of 1% chance of success – about the odds of catching a ball at a major league baseball game)

Each of you will create a poster to illustrate an amendment.

Be creative. Use your imagination and artistic ability.

This will count as a test grade.