The process for changing the United States Constitution has changed a lot since it was first approved in 1788. At first, the process was made hard so that only changes with a lot of support could be accepted.
There are two main ways to suggest changes:
Congress Proposes: A change can be suggested if two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate agree on it.
Convention Method: States can also ask for a meeting, called a convention, to suggest changes if two-thirds of state legislatures agree.
Even though these methods have stayed the same, how people engage with the process and how states get involved have changed over time.
Here are some key facts that show how tough it is to make changes to the Constitution:
Total Changes Suggested: Up to 2023, Congress has suggested 33 changes since the Constitution was first approved.
Accepted Changes: Out of those 33 suggested changes, only 27 have been accepted and added to the Constitution. This means about 82% of suggested changes don’t make it.
Time Taken: The first ten changes, known as the Bill of Rights, were approved in 1791. On the other hand, the latest change, the 27th one about how Congress gets paid, wasn’t approved until 1992. It took over 200 years for that change to be accepted after it was first suggested!
The tough part of making changes can be seen in a few more facts:
How Many States Need to Agree: After a change is proposed, at least 38 out of 50 states (or three-fourths) must agree for it to be accepted. This high number shows the need for a lot of support from different states, which helps keep the Constitution stable.
Looking at the Past: The last change that worked (the 27th one) took a long time to be accepted. It was first suggested in 1789, but it didn’t get approved until more than 200 years later. This shows that states have become more careful about changing the Constitution over time.
To sum it up, even though the basic way to change the Constitution hasn’t changed since it was first written, the way people and states get involved has changed. This makes it harder for new changes to happen and often leads to more arguments about them in today’s world.
The process for changing the United States Constitution has changed a lot since it was first approved in 1788. At first, the process was made hard so that only changes with a lot of support could be accepted.
There are two main ways to suggest changes:
Congress Proposes: A change can be suggested if two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and the Senate agree on it.
Convention Method: States can also ask for a meeting, called a convention, to suggest changes if two-thirds of state legislatures agree.
Even though these methods have stayed the same, how people engage with the process and how states get involved have changed over time.
Here are some key facts that show how tough it is to make changes to the Constitution:
Total Changes Suggested: Up to 2023, Congress has suggested 33 changes since the Constitution was first approved.
Accepted Changes: Out of those 33 suggested changes, only 27 have been accepted and added to the Constitution. This means about 82% of suggested changes don’t make it.
Time Taken: The first ten changes, known as the Bill of Rights, were approved in 1791. On the other hand, the latest change, the 27th one about how Congress gets paid, wasn’t approved until 1992. It took over 200 years for that change to be accepted after it was first suggested!
The tough part of making changes can be seen in a few more facts:
How Many States Need to Agree: After a change is proposed, at least 38 out of 50 states (or three-fourths) must agree for it to be accepted. This high number shows the need for a lot of support from different states, which helps keep the Constitution stable.
Looking at the Past: The last change that worked (the 27th one) took a long time to be accepted. It was first suggested in 1789, but it didn’t get approved until more than 200 years later. This shows that states have become more careful about changing the Constitution over time.
To sum it up, even though the basic way to change the Constitution hasn’t changed since it was first written, the way people and states get involved has changed. This makes it harder for new changes to happen and often leads to more arguments about them in today’s world.