3.5 Amending the Constitution

Which of the following accurately describes one way an amendment to the U.S. Constitution may be proposed?

• Two-thirds of each house of Congress votes to propose

• Two-thirds of citizens nationwide vote to propose

• Three-fourths of state legislatures vote to propose

• Three-fourths of each house of Congress votes to propose

Why is a formal amendment process important?

• To prevent the Supreme Court from being eliminated

• To keep some states from being too powerful

• To allow the Constitution to be adjusted as times change

• To give the president a role in changing the government

What is usually the first step in amending the U.S. Constitution?

• Three-fourths of the state legislatures propose the amendment.

• Two-thirds of each house of Congress propose the amendment.

• Conventions in three-fourths of the states propose the amendment.

• The President, after consulting with the U.S. Supreme Court, proposes the amendment.

The diagram below shows the most common method of amending the U.S. Constitution. Which completes the diagram?

• Two-thirds of the states hold a constitutional convention.

• Three-fourths of the state legislatures ratify the amendment.

• The President of the United States approves the amendment.

• Three-fourths of both houses of Congress ratify the amendment.

In 1971, a two-thirds majority of the House of Representatives approved a proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In 1972, a two-thirds majority of the Senate approved the same amendment. What was the next step for amending the Constitution?

• A majority of the state governments had to approve the amendment.

• A popular election would determine whether to adopt the amendment.

• A majority in three-fourths of the states had to approve the amendment.

• The amendment had to be signed by the President of the United States to be adopted.

Which of the following accurately describes one way an amendment to the U.S. Constitution may be proposed?

• Two-thirds of each house of Congress votes to propose

• Two-thirds of citizens nationwide vote to propose

• Three-fourths of state legislatures vote to propose

• Three-fourths of each house of Congress votes to propose

Why did the authors of the Constitution make it more difficult to amend the Constitution than to pass an ordinary law?

• They believed the U.S. Constitution should only be changed with overwhelming support.

• They wanted to make the system of government more responsive to popular needs.

• They did not want any one branch of the government to become too powerful.

• They borrowed this practice from the historical traditions of Great Britain