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Question 5 of 128 · American Government · Principles of American Government

How are changes made to the U.S. Constitution?

Accepted answers

  • Amendments
  • The amendment process

Any one of these is accepted, unless the question asks for more than one.

Why this is the answer

The Constitution can be changed, but only through a formal amendment, and the process is set out in Article V. First an amendment is proposed, normally by a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress. Then it has to be ratified by three-fourths of the states, which today means 38 of the 50. The bar is high on purpose: the Founders wanted the people to be able to change the Constitution, but not on a whim. That is why, in more than two centuries, only 27 amendments have made it through. Memory hook: to amend is to change; the amendment process is propose, then ratify.