The Congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; provided that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate."
Article Five of the Constitution is an outline for amending the Constitution. Other articles of the Constitution are broken into sections and clauses, but Article Five is only one paragraph. When it was written, the Constitution was planned to exist and be in place for a long time. The men at the Constitutional Convention, (the convention where the document was written), realized that as the nation progressed, the country might feel the need to add to or alter the Constitution. This is why Article Five was created.
The original Constitution can’t be changed, only added to with amendments. The amendment process can be begun in multiple ways. If 2/3 of the Senate, which is 67/100 senators, and 2/3 of the House of Representatives, which is 290/435, call for a change, an amendment can be proposed. Another way for an amendment to be proposed if 2/3, (34/50) of the states call for a constitution convention. The convention is a gathering of representatives from each state to make a change. Once amendments are officially proposed, it takes 38/50 states (3/4 of state legislatures or state conventions) to ratify it. Article Five doesn’t set a certain deadline or time period that the amendment must be approved/ratified by, but Congress has the power to set a deadline.
The article forbid certain amendments from ever being created, including an amendment that would deny a state its votes in the Senate, and (before 1808) amendments that would prohibit importation of slaves or allow direct taxation with a system aside from the one shown in Article One.
The original Constitution can’t be changed, only added to with amendments. The amendment process can be begun in multiple ways. If 2/3 of the Senate, which is 67/100 senators, and 2/3 of the House of Representatives, which is 290/435, call for a change, an amendment can be proposed. Another way for an amendment to be proposed if 2/3, (34/50) of the states call for a constitution convention. The convention is a gathering of representatives from each state to make a change. Once amendments are officially proposed, it takes 38/50 states (3/4 of state legislatures or state conventions) to ratify it. Article Five doesn’t set a certain deadline or time period that the amendment must be approved/ratified by, but Congress has the power to set a deadline.
The article forbid certain amendments from ever being created, including an amendment that would deny a state its votes in the Senate, and (before 1808) amendments that would prohibit importation of slaves or allow direct taxation with a system aside from the one shown in Article One.