amendment process
Charter alteration procedure
The amendment process is the formal procedure for changing a constitution or other foundational document.
In the United States, this requires proposal by two-thirds of Congress or a national convention, followed by ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures.
The process is deliberately difficult, ensuring stability while allowing necessary change: The amendment process has produced only 27 changes to the U.S. Constitution.
- Bill of RightsInitial constitutional amendments guaranteeing freedoms
- supermajorityVote exceeding simple majority
- constitutionInherent physical or structural makeup
- ratificationFormal approval by authority
- popular voteTotal of citizen votes
legislature · proposal · Articles of Confederation · equal rights · statute · two-thirds majority · separation of powers · judiciary · committee review · filibuster · red tape · regulation · three-fourths · revision · charter · Congress · state legislatures · executive
- constitutional lawConstitution, Bill of Rights, constitutional law, constitutional rights, constitutional amendments
- legislaturebill, senators, senator, state legislature, legislators
- club bylawscode of conduct, membership fees, dues, disciplinary action, expulsion
- Congress powersspending power, declare war, impeachment, lawmaking, appropriations
- ConstitutionBill of Rights, preamble, articles, U.S. Constitution, Article I
- constitutionsbill of rights, constitutional reform, clause, clauses, national constitution
amendment processmajority rule
Decisions by greater number
simple majority · voice vote · executive order · decree · fiat