The Formal Amendment Process THE CONSTITUTION CHAPTER 3

The Formal Amendment Process THE CONSTITUTION CHAPTER 3 SECTION 2

Starter What does the chart suggest about the Constitution’s durability?

Answers will vary. The chart suggests that the Constitution is strong, dynamic, flexible, effective, and durable. Dramatic social, political, economic, and territorial changes have not undermined its effectiveness. It has continued to serve effectively and function soundly through more than 200 years of enormous changes in the United States.

Objective/Standard �Students will be able to identify the four different ways by which the Constitution can be formally changed. �GC. 10 – Describe in order the steps of the process through which the Constitution can be amended

Question �Do you think the Framers anticipated that the Constitution would be amended? How do you know? �Amendment – an addition, alteration, or a change made to a constitution, statute, or legislative bill or resolution.

Endurance �How has the Constitution, written in 1787, endured and kept pace with the change and growth of this country? Is it the same as it was in 1787?

Answer �Because the Constitution of today is, and at the same time is not, the document of 1787. Many of the words are the same, and much of their meaning remains the same. But some of its words have been changed, some have been eliminated, some have been added. And the meanings of many of its provisions have been modified.

Change �**The process of constitutional change, and modification and growth, has come about in two ways: 1. 2. By formal amendment; and By other informal means. �Today we will be discussing the formal amendment process.

Article V �Article V of the U. S. Constitution establishes the formal amendment process. �There are essentially 4 possible methods of formally amending the Constitution.

Group Activity

Formal Amendment Process Method 2 Method 1 �Proposal: by Congress by � Proposal: at a national �Ratification: � Ratification: convention called by Congress when requested by 2/3 of the State legislatures. a 2/3 vote in each house. Ratified by ¾ state legislatures; 2) Ratified by conventions in ¾ of the states (38 states) 1) Ratified by ¾ state legislatures (34 states); 2) Ratified by conventions in ¾ of the states 1)

Group Skit �Work with your team to create a short skit depicting the subject of your assigned amendment. �As each team presents its skit, the rest of the class will try to guess the amendment the team is dramatizing. So, do not reveal your amendment to other teams. �The skits may be set in the past or present and may depict a real event or a fictional event. �When you watch each skit as part of the audience, write the number of the amendment down. Cite evidence from the skit to support your conclusion.

Attempts �More than 12, 000 amendments have been proposed, but only 33 have made it to the states for ratification; i. e. , most proposed amendments never make it to the states. �Only 17 have been approved since the Bill of Rights passed in 1791. �**Of the 27 constitutional amendments, 26 were adopted in the same manner – proposed in Congress and ratified by the State legislatures. **

Proposed Amendments �The President plays no formal role in the amendment process; he cannot sign or veto the resolution. �If a state rejects a proposed amendment, it can usually reconsider it later and ratify it �The Framers did not include a time limit for ratification, though the SC has ruled that it must occur w/in “some reasonable time. ” Congress has defined that to be 7 years; but, the SC can grant additional time.

Federalism �**In what way does the amendment process illustrate the federal character of the U. S. government, i. e. , federalism? **

The 27 Amendments �The first 10 amendments, i. e. Bill of Rights, were added to the Constitution less than 3 years after it became effective. They list our basic freedoms and rights. �Remember: Anti-Federalists feared that a strong central government would trample individual rights. So, in exchange for their support of ratification, they wanted the protection of rights written into the Constitution.

Which amendment affects you most today? Which amendment affects you least today? Why?

Bizarre Amendments � � � � MOST BIZARRE FAILED PROPOSALS 1876: A three-person, Roman-style triumvirate should replace role of president 1876: Eliminate the Senate and Presidency 1876: Forbid religious leaders from occupying a governmental office or receiving federal funding 1893: Rename America the 'United States of the Earth' 1893: Abolish the U. S. Army and Navy 1894: Acknowledge that the Constitution recognizes God and Jesus Christ as supreme leaders in human affairs 1912: Marriage between races should be illegal 1921: Divorce should be illegal 1916: Put all acts of war to a national vote. Any 'yes' voter has to register as a volunteer for service in the U. S. Army 1933: Limit income to $1 million - all excess goes toward lowering national debt 1936: Allow American people to vote on whether or not country should go to war 1938: Forbid drunkenness in all states and U. S. territories 1947: Income tax for individuals should not exceed 25 per cent 1948: Give the right of citizens to segregate themselves from others 1971: American citizens should have the alienable right to an environment free of pollution

Exit Ticket 1) One way to make a change to the Constitution is for twothirds of the members of _____ to propose an amendment. 2) Because we have a federal system, three-fourths of the __________ must then ratify the amendment for it to become part of the Constitution. 3) The first ______ amendments to the Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights. 4) Which article of the U. S. Constitution establishes the formal amendment process?

Exit Ticket 5) The Bill of Rights is a list of �a. ways to cancel legislation. �b. ways to amend the Constitution. �c. rules for national elections. �d. basic freedoms and rights Bonus: 6) Which amendment abolished slavery?

Summary