To Amend the Constitution
How is the Constitution amended?
Goal:
Goal:
The Bill of Rights consists of only the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. There are now a total of 27 amendments (including the first 10 in the Bill of Rights).
Article V of the Constitution talks about two ways to amend it. The first way is through Congress. Two-thirds of the members of Congress must agree to the amendment.
Once they agree, then the proposed amendment is sent to the states to be ratified (approved). In order for the amendment proposed by Congress to be ratified, three-fourths of the states have to ratify it. That is 38 out of 50 states that have to approve the amendment.
The second way to amend the Constitution is for the states to call a Constitutional Convention. Two-thirds of the states can propose an amendment. That is 34 out of 50 states. When they do this, they are asking Congress to call a Constitutional Convention to meet and propose the amendment. At the convention, the states need to get 38 states out of 50 (three-fourths) to approve the amendment.
So far, all of the amendments to the Constitution have been done through Congress. The second method has yet to be used.