1. Get your notebooks and have a seat.
The Amendment Process
Get your notebooks and have a seat.

2. Amendments
The authors of the Constitution knew that people might want to change it in the future
They provided rules for the Constitution to be amended (added to or changed)
Article V established a two-step process for amendments

3. Step 1: Proposing the Amendment
Option 1
Option 2
Two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress
Used: 27 times
Two-thirds of state legislatures request a national convention to amend the Constitution
Used: never!

4. Step 2: Ratifying the Amendment
Option 1
Option 2
Ratification by three-fourths of the state legislatures
(3/4 state legislatures vote to pass it)
Ratification by special ratification conventions in three-fourths of states.
(special meetings in 3/4 of states)

5. A few more amendments… Read pages 177-179
Use pages to help you complete the chart on the back of your worksheet