Britannica
Sources used in this answer
- Constitution of the United States of America - List of amendments to the U.S. Constitution
- What is a constitutional amendment?
- amendment
- Constitution of the United States of America - The Constitution as a living document
- list of amendments to the U.S. Constitution
- Text of the Constitution of the United States - Section 6
- Text of the Constitution of the United States - Section 4
- Text of the Constitution of the United States - Article V
- Text of the Constitution of the United States - Tenth Amendment
- Text of the Constitution of the United States - Eleventh Amendment (1795)
How can the United States Constitution be amended?
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Constitution of the United States of America
Original copy of the U.S. Constitution, housed in the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
The United States Constitution can be amended through a two-step process: proposal and ratification.12
Proposal:
* An amendment can be proposed by Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.13
* Alternatively, a constitutional convention can be called by Congress if requested by the legislatures of two-thirds of the states.13
Ratification:
* Once proposed, an amendment must be ratified by three-fourths of the states. This ratification can occur through the state legislatures or, in rare cases, through popularly elected conventions in the states.123
The Constitution has been amended 27 times since its inception, with the first 10 amendments forming the Bill of Rights.45