2d - Amending the Constitution

Amendment is another word for:

• change

• deletion

There have been ___ amendments to the US Constitution.

• 19

• 27

• 30

• 33

The US Constitution describes __ ways amendments can happen. Only ___ has been used 99% of the time in the past.

• 3; 1

• 2; 1

• 4; 1

We're only going to concentrate on the most common way amendments are created. It's a 2 step process. The first is for an "announcement' about the amendment to be made known as a ____.

• proposal

• introduction

• presentation

• initiation

The proposal can be made in either the House of Representatives or Senate (altogether known as the Congress). The proposal will only pass if ___ of the members of each house agree.

• 50%; 1/2

• 67%; 2/3rds

• 33%; 1/3rd

• 75%; 3/4ths

If the proposal passes both houses, the second step of the amendment process kicks in. This is known as ____.

• confirmation

• approval

• permission

• ratification

For the ratification part, each ____ gets to vote whether to accept the proposal and make the amendment become a reality. This is done in their own legislatures.

• person

• state

• county

• district

Ratification occurs when ___ (or 38) of the states vote yes for the amendment.

• 1/3rd

• 1/2

• 2/3rds

• 3/4ths

So to recap, the Amendment to the Constitution process is very difficult. It is a __ step process with the _______ and the ______ legislatures having a say in the process.

• 3; state; Congress

• 4; Congress; state

• 2; Congress; state

• 3; Congress; state

There have been thousands of proposals to amend the Constitution but only 27 have finally made it through. Why?

• many of the proposals have been voted down in the Senate

• many of the proposals have been voted down in the House of Representatives

• many of the states have voted against ratification

• all of the above