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Why is the U.S. Constitution considered difficult to amend?
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constitution
Original copy of the Constitution of the United States of America, housed in the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Constitution is considered difficult to amend because the framers established a rigorous, multi-stage process under Article V that requires broad national consensus.
To successfully amend the document, a proposal must clear two significant hurdles:
- Proposal: An amendment must be proposed either by a two-thirds vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the state legislatures.12
- Ratification: Once proposed, the amendment must be ratified by three-fourths of the states (currently 38 of 50), either through their legislatures or via state ratifying conventions.12
This high threshold ensures that changes to the nation’s foundational political system are not made impulsively, reflecting the framers' intent to balance governmental authority with the protection of individual liberty. Because of these stringent requirements, the Constitution has been amended only 27 times since it entered into force in 1789.234