The Amendment Process: The Key to the Living Constitution

What is an amendment? A formal revision to the Constitution, responding to needs of a changing nation Amendment procedure is laid out in Article V of the Constitution

The Process To Purpose an amendment Requires a 2/3 vote of both Houses of Congress -OR- Requires a national convention requested by 2/3 of state legislatures To Ratify and Amendment Approval by 3/4 of state legislatures -OR- Acceptance by conventions in 3/4 of states

The Amendments The Bill of Rights (1-10) 1. Freedom of religion, speech, assembly, and petition. 2. Right of the people to keep and bear arms. 3. People cannot be forced to house soldiers in peacetime. 4. Protects against unreasonable search and seizure and warrants must be based on probable cause. 5. No one can be held for a serious crime without being presented to a grand jury; double jeopardy; the right to avoid self- incrimination; no one can be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process, the right of eminent domain.

The Amendments Bill of Rights (continued) 6. All criminals have the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury; the accused can confront any witnesses called against them and call their own witnesses; the accused has the right to counsel. 7. Civil cases can be tried in front of a jury. 8. No excessive bail, fines, cruel and unusual punishment. 9. The people have the rights granted by the Constitution but others as well. 10. The powers of the federal government are limited to those in the Constitution.

The Amendments Eleven-Seventeen 11. Citizens cannot sue states in federal court. 12. Members of the electoral college cast separate votes for the president and vice president. 13. Abolished slavery 14. Requires that states give all people equal protection under the law; gave citizenship to freed slaves. 15. Voting rights cannot be denied to any citizen based on race, color, or former status as a slave. 16. Authorizes the income tax. 17. Establishes direct election of US senators.

The Amendments Eighteen-Twenty-four 18. Prohibited the manufacturing, importing, and exporting of alcoholic beverages 19. Prohibits the federal government and states from forbidding any citizen the right to vote based on sex 20. Changes the details of Congressional and presidential terms and presidential succession 21. Repeals the eighteenth amendment 22. Limits the president to two terms 23. Grants Washington, D.C. presidential electors 24. Prohibits the requirement of a payment (a poll tax) as a qualification for voting

The Amendments Twenty-five – Twenty-seven 25. Provides for replacement of the vice president 26. Lowered the national voting age to Limits congressional pay raises