The Constitution has been amended only 27 times since it was drafted in , including the first 10 amendments adopted four years later as the Bill of Rights. Not just any idea to improve America deserves an amendment.
The idea must be one of major impact affecting all Americans or securing rights of citizens. Recently, an amendment to outlaw flag burning may be gathering steam and President Clinton has endorsed the idea of a crime victims' rights amendment.
Other amendment proposals that are popular with some congressional leaders would allow voluntary school prayer, make English the country's official language, and abolish the Electoral College. Among amendments adopted this century are those that gave women the right to vote; enacted and repealed Prohibition; abolished poll taxes; and lowered the minimum voting age from 21 to The amendment process is very difficult and time consuming: A proposed amendment must be passed by two-thirds of both houses of Congress, then ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states.
The "arduous process has winnowed out all but a handful of the amendments proposed over the past years," Ron Elving, senior editor and correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR News, wrote earlier this month. How much more challenging would it be to tackle individual gun ownership in a country where so many citizens own guns — and care passionately about their right to do so? He pointed out the "tremendous support" gun ownership has in large parts of the nation, especially the South, West and Midwest, "which would easily total up to more than enough states to block a gun control amendment.
The second option for repealing an amendment is to hold a Constitutional Convention. In that case, two-thirds of state legislatures would need to call for such a convention, and states would write amendments that would then need to be ratified by three-fourths of the states.
While it's theoretically possible to change the Constitution this way, "that's never happened since the Constitution was ratified," said Kevin McMahon, an expert in constitutional law and a professor of political science at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.
In the history of the United States, the only amendment that's ever been repealed is Prohibition. The 21st Amendment, in , repealed the 18th Amendment, of , which prohibited the making, transportation and sale of alcohol.
A repeal would require "a sea change" in how Americans think about gun control and the right to bear arms, McMahon said. Stevens' call for a repeal is not the first remark from a former member of the Supreme Court against the Second Amendment. Since then, there have been other calls to look again at the Second Amendment. AWS Deloitte Genpact. Events Innovation Festival.
Follow us:. By Melissa Locker 1 minute Read. A proposed amendment to the Constitution must first be passed by Congress with two-thirds majorities in both the House and the Senate.
Then, three-fourths of the states must ratify the amendment. Three-fourths is a high bar—if as few as 13 states refuse to approve the change, the amendment stalls.
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