Malcolm Rivera
The Constitution of the United States has been amended 27 times, with 33 amendments proposed by the US Congress since 1789. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791. The process of amending the Constitution is outlined in Article V of the Constitution, with amendments requiring ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures. Six amendments have not been ratified by the required number of states, with four still pending, and one closed and failed by its own terms. The last successful amendment was the 27th Amendment in 1992, 203 years after it was first proposed.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total number of amendments proposed by the United States Congress | 33 |
| Number of amendments ratified and are part of the Constitution | 27 |
| Number of amendments proposed by the First Congress of the United States | 12 |
| Number of amendments out of the above 12 that were ratified | 10 |
| Number of amendments that are still pending | 4 |
| Number of amendments that have failed | 2 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Six amendments have not been ratified
Six amendments to the US Constitution have not been ratified by the required number of states. Thirty-three amendments have been proposed by the US Congress and sent to the states for ratification since the Constitution was put into operation on March 4, 1789. Twenty-seven of those, having been ratified, are part of the Constitution.
The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified simultaneously on December 15, 1791. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments are collectively referred to as the Reconstruction Amendments.
The process of amending the Constitution is outlined in Article V of the Constitution. An amendment can be proposed by Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the state legislatures. Once an amendment is proposed, the Archivist of the United States is responsible for administering the ratification process.
For an amendment to become part of the Constitution, it must be ratified by three-fourths of the states (38 out of 50 states). This can be done through the state legislatures or state ratifying conventions. The ratification process has a seven-year time limit, after which the amendment fails if it has not been ratified by enough states.
Of the six unratified amendments, four are still pending, one is closed and failed by its terms, and one is closed and failed by the terms of the resolution proposing it.
Amending the Constitution: Adapting to a Changing Nation
You may want to see also
Four are still pending
The United States Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was enacted on March 4, 1789. Amendments to the Constitution can be proposed by either the US Congress, with a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, or by a national convention called by Congress upon application by two-thirds of state legislatures. However, to date, all amendments have been proposed by Congress, and none have been proposed by constitutional convention.
Once an amendment is proposed, it is sent to the states for ratification. For an amendment to become part of the Constitution, it must be ratified by three-fourths of the states (38 out of 50 states). This can be done through state legislatures or state ratifying conventions. The Archivist of the United States is responsible for administering the ratification process and issuing a certificate once an amendment has been properly ratified.
Since 1789, approximately 11,848 proposals to amend the Constitution have been introduced in Congress. Out of these, 33 amendments have been proposed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification. Of those 33 amendments, 27 have been successfully ratified and are now part of the Constitution.
Six amendments adopted by Congress have not been ratified by the required number of states. Four of these amendments are still pending, one has failed by its own terms, and one has failed by the terms of the resolution proposing it. The four pending amendments have not yet received the necessary ratification from three-fourths of the states to become part of the Constitution. It is worth noting that the process of ratifying amendments can be complex and time-consuming, and the specific procedures can vary depending on the circumstances.
Supreme Court's Power: Informal Amendments Explained
You may want to see also
One failed by resolution terms
The process of amending the US Constitution is outlined in Article V of the Constitution. Amendments can be proposed by Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the state legislatures. Once an amendment is proposed, it is sent to the states for ratification. To become part of the Constitution, an amendment must be ratified by three-quarters of the states (38 out of 50). This can be done through state legislatures or state ratifying conventions.
Since the Constitution came into operation on March 4, 1789, 33 amendments have been proposed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification. Of these, 27 have been successfully ratified and are now part of the Constitution. The first ten amendments, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified simultaneously on December 15, 1791. The Reconstruction Amendments (the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments) were ratified in the aftermath of the Civil War to abolish slavery and grant citizenship and equal protection under the law to formerly enslaved people.
Six amendments proposed by Congress have not been ratified by the required number of states. Four of these amendments are still pending, while two are closed—one failed by its own terms, and the other failed by the terms of the resolution proposing it. This latter amendment, which failed by resolution terms, was likely proposed by Congress in the form of a joint resolution. The joint resolution is forwarded directly to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) without going through the President for signature or approval. The exact details of this amendment and why it failed to be ratified are not immediately clear from the sources available. However, it is worth noting that the process of amending the Constitution is complex and rigorous, and the failure of this amendment underscores the high bar set for making changes to the nation's founding document.
Amending the Constitution: Who Can Propose Changes?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
One failed by its own terms
The process of amending the US Constitution is a complex and lengthy one. Since the Constitution came into operation in 1789, 33 amendments have been proposed by the US Congress and sent to the states for ratification. Of these, 27 have been ratified by the requisite number of states and are now part of the Constitution.
Six amendments have not been ratified by the required number of states. Four of those amendments are still pending, one is closed and failed by its own terms, and one is closed and failed by the terms of the resolution proposing it.
The one amendment that failed by its own terms was Article 1 of the Bill of Rights. Proposed by the First Congress of the United States on September 25, 1789, it was one of 12 amendments proposed at the time. Ten of these were ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures on December 15, 1791, and became the first 10 amendments of the Constitution, or the Bill of Rights. However, Article 1 was never ratified. It was finally ratified in 1992, 203 years after it was proposed, as the 27th Amendment to the Constitution.
The 27th Amendment bars Congress from giving itself a pay raise during its current session. This amendment is unique in that it took over two centuries to be ratified, and it demonstrates the enduring relevance of the principles enshrined in the Constitution. It also highlights the importance of a rigorous amendment process, which ensures that any changes to the Constitution are carefully considered and broadly supported by the American people.
The fact that one of the original 12 amendments has only recently become part of the Constitution underscores the enduring nature of the document and the thoughtful approach taken by the Founding Fathers in its creation. The process of amending the Constitution is deliberately challenging, reflecting the understanding that the document should be a stable foundation for the nation, resistant to passing fads or fleeting political sentiments.
The story of the 27th Amendment also serves as a reminder that the Constitution is a living document, capable of evolving to meet the needs of a changing society. While the amendment process is rigorous, it is not impossible, and citizens can still propose and advocate for amendments that they believe will improve the nation.
Emancipation and the Constitution: An Amendment for Freedom
You may want to see also
11,848 proposals to amend Constitution
Since the Constitution was put into operation on March 4, 1789, 33 amendments have been proposed by the US Congress and sent to the states for ratification. Twenty-seven of those amendments have been ratified by the requisite number of states and are now part of the Constitution. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified simultaneously on December 15, 1791.
However, approximately 11,848 proposals to amend the Constitution have been introduced in Congress since 1789 (as of January 3, 2019). This averages out to around 200 proposals during each two-year term of Congress. Despite this, none of the proposals made in recent decades have become part of the Constitution. The majority of these proposals died in the congressional committees to which they were assigned. Since 1999, only about 20 proposed amendments have received a vote by either the full House or Senate.
The process of amending the Constitution is detailed in Article Five of the United States Constitution. It outlines a two-step process for proposing and ratifying amendments. An amendment may be proposed and sent to the states for ratification by either a two-thirds majority vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives or a national convention called by Congress on the application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the states. However, to become part of the Constitution, an amendment must be ratified by three-fourths of the states (38 states since 1959) through either the legislatures of three-fourths of the states or state ratifying conventions in three-fourths of the states.
The last time a proposal gained the necessary two-thirds support in both the House and the Senate for submission to the states was the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment in 1978. Unfortunately, only 16 states ratified it when the seven-year time limit expired.
GST: Constitutional Amendment or Just a Bill?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Six amendments have not been ratified by the required number of states. Four of those amendments are still pending, one is closed and has failed by its own terms, and one is closed and has failed by the terms of the resolution proposing it.
Twenty-seven amendments to the US Constitution have been ratified. The first ten amendments, also known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791.
Approximately 11,848 proposals to amend the Constitution have been introduced in Congress since 1789.
