Chapter 3: The Constitution Section 2

Many of the ____ current amendments were proposed in response to lega disputes, social conflicts, or perceived constitutional problems.

27

Amendment

A change to the written words of the Constitution.

13th Amendment

Abolished slavery.

1865 - Amendment 13

Abolition of Slavery

How does the federal amendment process reflect the concept of federalism?

Amendments are proposed at the national level and ratified at the state level by legislatures or conventions. A state can reject an amendment and later decide to ratify it. But a state cannot change its mind after it votes to ratify an amendment. The President cannot veto proposed amendments.

1964 - Amendment 24

Ban of tax payments as voter qualification.

1791 - Amendments 1-10

Bill of Rights

Amendments may be proposed:

By a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress. [Done for 26 of 27 amendments.] By a national convention called by Congress at the request of two-thirds of the state legislatures. [Done for the 21st amendment.]

Amendments can be ratified:

By three-fourths of the state legislatures. By conventions in three-fourths of the states. [A method not yet used.]

1933 - Amendment 20

Change of dates for presidential and congressional terms.

1804 - Amendment 12

Changes in electoral college procedures.

1868 - Amendment 14

Citizenship, equal protection, and due process.

1913 - Amendment 16

Congress given the power to tax incomes.

1992 - Amendment 27

Congressional pay.

The amendment process allows the _____________ to adapt to the changing needs of our nation and society.

Constitution

Article V of the Constitution

Describes the amendment process.

1961 - Amendment 23

District of Columbia allowed to vote in presidential elections.

15th, 19th, and 26th Amendments

Each extended voting rights to new segment of society: African Americans, women, 18-year olds.

1951 - Amendment 22

Limit on presidential terms.

Proposed Amendments

Most suggested amendments are never proposed by Congress. Congress has sent only 33 of some 15,000 suggested amendments to the states. Six proposed amendments were not ratified by the states. Congress can set a "reasonable" time limit for ratification, usually around seven years. Failed amendments include one declaring the equal rights of women (ERA) and one banning amendments dealing with slavery.

1870 - Amendment 15

No denial of vote because of race, color or previous enslavement.

Formal Amendment

One of four ways to change or add to the written language of the Constitution.

1913 - Amendment 17

Popular election of U.S. Senators.

1967 - Amendment 25

Presidential succession, vice presidential vacancy, and presidential disability.

1919 - Amendment 18

Prohibition of alcohol.

1933 - Amendment 21

Repeal of prohibition (Amendment 18)

12th Amendment

Resolved a problem with the presidential election process.

1795 - Amendment 11

States immune from certain lawsuits.

Ratification

The act of approving a proposed amendment.

Popular Sovereignty

The amendment process is based on it. The people elect the representatives who vote to propose or ratify amendments. Some critics argue that conventions are a better way to ratify amendments than state legislatures, because state legislatures are rarely elected based upon their views on an amendment. The Supreme Court has ruled that states cannot require a proposed amendment to be approved by popular vote before the state legislature can ratify it.

How has the Constitution been amended through the formal amendment process?

The majority of amendments have been proposed by a two-thirds vote of Congress and ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures. An amendment can also be ratified by state conventions held in three fourths of the states. This has only happened once.

Bill of Rights

The name given to the first ten amendments to the Constitution, which guarantee many basic freedoms; all ten amendments were ratified in 1791.

What is the purpose of the Bill of Rights?

They spell out many basic rights and liberties. Many people would not support the Constitution until a Bill of Rights was promised.

The _____________________ has gone from a farming nation of less than 4 million people to a high-tech country with a population of more than 300 million.

United States

1971 - Amendment 26

Voting age changed to 18.

1920 - Amendment 19

Women's suffrage.

Portions of the Constitution have been added, deleted, or altered as a result of ____________.

amendments