Amending the Constitution

Changes to wording of the Constitution come as a result of 

• the formal amendment process.
• executives actions.
• judicial review.
• senatorial courtesy.

What percent of states must approve of a proposed amendment before it becomes part of the Constitution?

• 2/3s

• 34

• 3/4

• 40

How does the formal amendment process reflect the concept of federalism?

• It grants the greatest amount of power to the national government.
• Power to change the Constitution requires both the national and state governments.
• The system for changing the Constitution recognizes popular sovereignty.
• Federal authority is supreme and, as such, has sole power to change the Constitution.

At which level of government can changes to the Constitution be proposed?

• local
• state
• national
• executive

Ratification of proposed amendments happens

• by popular vote.
• at the state level.
• with a 3/4 approval of both houses of Congress.
• at the national level with a majority vote in Congress and presidential approval.

How many times has the Constitution been changed?

• 12,000.
• 33 times
• 27 times.
• 26 times.

The newspaper headline above describes an event in U.S. history.

Source: Anti-Saloon League Museum

Based on the headline, what happened before the event presented in the image?

• Two-thirds of each house of Congress voted to support the amendment.

• The president rejected the amendment after Congress voted to support it.

• Three-fourths of each house of Congress voted to support the amendment.

• The president forwarded the amendment to the states after Congress voted to support it.

Which government institution may vote on constitutional amendments?

• bureaucracy

• executive

• judicial

• legislative

The passage above was written by U.S. Senator Barack Obama in his 2006 book, The Audacity of Hope.

Based on the passage, which statement about the amendment process would Senator Obama support?

• The ratification process allows the president to reflect public views.

• The ratification process allows governors to reflect public views.

• The U.S. Constitution is difficult to amend.

• The U.S. Constitution is easy to amend.

The passage below is from an 1848 speech by Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

"In the United States of America women [are] unrepresented in this government—our rights and interests wholly overlooked."

Source: Public Domain

Based on the passage, which action in the modern political system would Elizabeth Cady Stanton support?

• amending the U.S. Constitution to extend suffrage

• amending the U.S. Constitution to guarantee due process

• Congress enacting a law limiting freedom of speech rights

• Congress enacting a law limiting freedom of association rights