The Constitution - Amendments

Question 1

How can amendments be proposed

Answer 1

1. Congress

2. National Constitutional Convention

Question 2

How can amendments be ratified

Answer 2

1. State legislatures

2. State constitutional convention

Question 3

How can congress propose an amendment

Answer 3

Two-thirds majority in both houses

Question 4

How can national constitutional convention propose an amendment

Answer 4

Two-thirds of the states (never happened)

Question 5

How can state legislatures ratify amendments

Answer 5

Three quarters of the state legislatures

Question 6

How can state constitutional convention ratify amendments

Answer 6

Three quarters of states must hold conventions and vote to ratify

Question 7

Of 33 proposed amendments, states have ratified _____ of them

Answer 7

27

Question 8

Advantages of constitutional amendment process

Answer 8

1. Constitution protected from Politicians Seeking short-term gain
2. Constitution protected from short-lived Waves of popular sentiment
3. Both states and federal govt. involved, entailing a Variety of View points
4. Needs a broad-based consensus - amendments cannot be pushed through by bare majority either in Congress or the states

Question 9

Disadvantages of constitutional amendment process

Answer 9

1. A determined minority can prevent the will of the majority from prevailing
2. Supermajorities mean SC has become the main way of amending
3. Amendments with widespread support not guaranteed to pass
4. Process doesn’t always act as a barrier to poor amendments

Question 10

Reasons why the constitution has been amended so rarely

Answer 10

1. It’s a deliberately difficult process
2. It has evolved naturally
   Americans are cautious of tampering with it
3. Supreme Court’s power of judicial review allows the court to interpret the constitution and therefore, effectively change the meaning