u.s. government -- chapter 3, section 2 "methods of formal constitutional amendment"
TRANSCRIPT
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.