The Amendment Process

• What are the first 10 amendments known as?

  The Bill of Rights
• Which amendment states that all power not granted to the federal government is granted to the states and the people

  10 th amendment
• Which amendments were passed after the Civil War which abolished slavery and established civil rights for ex-slaves?

  13 th, 14 th and 15 th
• Which amendment gave women the right to vote?

  19 th
• Which Amendment limits the President to 2 terms in office?

  22
• When was the most recent amendment passed (the 27th)?

  1992
• What are the 2 ways to amend the US Constitution?

  1. 2/3 of both houses of Congress have to vote to introduce an amendment
  2. 2/3 of the states can call a constitutional convention to propose amendments
• What does the amendment process protect?

  The key principles as the Founding Fathers intended. For example, regular elections and the separation of powers
• How does the amendment process protect small states’ rights?

  As it is hard to change, smaller states are able to maintain their rights against larger states, one of the main reasons for the continuation of the electoral college
• The amendment process makes it hard for any one group or populist movement to amend the constitution
• Example of amendment process making it difficult for populist figures to change the constitution

  Donald Trump tweeted that he could end birthright citizenship, as protected by the 14 th amendment with an executive order. However this is not possible. If it were this easy to change, there could be serious repercussions for civil liberties in the US. This means that amendments are those that are desired by the whole country
• States are sometimes overrepresented. States have changing populations. Some have grown, like Idaho and others have shrunk, like Illinois. Small states with small populations get an equal say to larger states
• Why can the amendment process be considered undemcratic?

  13 states can block the will of the people
• Example of the amendment process being undemocratic

  Feminist groups have been trying to introduce and Equal Rights Amendment since 1921. It has received a supermajority in both houses of Congress. However it has been blocked by a small group of conservative states who refuse to ratify the amendment