Amending the Constitution
Formally Amending the Constitution
Vocab: Formal Amendment: ________________________________________________________
Formal Amendment process – Aricle V
2 methods for ______________ of Constitutional Amendments
2 methods for ______________ of Constitutional Amendments
* What does this tell us about what the Framers predicted about the Constitution?
1st method:
proposed by 2/3 vote in _________________ house of Congress
ratified by ¾ of State Legislatures (today = 38 to pass)
* ___ /27 Amendments have been done this way.
2nd method:
Amendment is proposed by _______________________
and ratified by ____________________ in ¾ of the states.
* 21st Amendment was done this way.
3rd method:
2/3 of State Legislatures (today = 34) request that Congress calls a __________________
_____________________ and an amendment is proposed there.
It is ratified by ¾ of the State Legislatures
4th method:
proposed by a National Convention and ratified by conventions in ¾ of the states
There have been more than _________________ joint resolutions calling for amendments have been
_______________. Only _____________ of those have been sent to the states, and of those, only
_________ have been ratified.
Bill of Rights – your civil rights
1st 10 Amendments of the Constitution
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Informally Amending the Constitution
Informal Amendment: ______________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Ways to informally change the Constitution
Basic Legislation from Congress
Congress has “____________” the Constitution
i.e. The Const. gives Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce.
What is interstate commerce?
Executive Action
Actions taken by the _________________
i.e. only congress has the power to declare war but the President is
_____________________________________ of the Armed Forces.
Presidents have used the arm forces in no less than ______________ times without a
congressional declaration
Court Decisions
The court has the power to decide ______________________________
Party Policies
The Constitution ___________________ of Political Parties
However, many government practices are based on ___________________
Customs
Different customs frame how we do things in the government.
i.e. no-third term tradition – started with ___________________
However, FDR broke this tradition in 1940 and 1944
result = 22nd Amendment – 2 terms for President
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