Amendments.
Definition
Formal changes or additions to the U.S. Constitution. The amendment process requires proposal by two-thirds of both houses of Congress (or a national convention) and ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791.
How it works · 4 phases
Step by step.
- An amendment is proposed by a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate, or by a national convention called by two-thirds of state legislatures.
- The proposed amendment is sent to the states for ratification.
- Three-fourths of state legislatures (or state conventions) must approve the amendment.
- Once ratified, the amendment becomes part of the Constitution.
Examples
Real-world.
- 1 The 13th Amendment (1865) abolished slavery
- 2 The 19th Amendment (1920) granted women the right to vote
- 3 The 26th Amendment (1971) lowered the voting age to 18
Key Fact
There are 27 amendments to the U.S. Constitution; the most recent (27th) was ratified in 1992.