Eleanor Finch
The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was drafted in 1787, with the first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, being ratified in 1791, four years after the Constitution was drafted. Since then, there have been numerous proposals to amend the Constitution, with approximately 11,848 proposals introduced in Congress as of January 3, 2019. The process of amending the Constitution is difficult and time-consuming, requiring a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of amendments to the US Constitution | 27 |
| Number of proposals to amend the US Constitution since 1789 | ~11,848 |
| Average number of proposals made during each two-year term of Congress | 200 |
| Number of amendments proposed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification since 1789 | 33 |
| Number of amendments ratified by the requisite number of states | 27 |
| Number of amendments that have not been ratified by the required number of states | 6 |
| Number of amendments that are still pending | 4 |
| Time taken for the first 10 amendments to be ratified | 4 years |
| Time taken for Article 2 to be ratified as the 27th Amendment | 203 years |
| Time taken for an amendment to be ratified since the early 20th century | 7 years |
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What You'll Learn
The first 10 amendments were ratified in 1791
The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was first drafted in 1787. The first 10 amendments, also known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791, four years after the Constitution was drafted.
The process of amending the Constitution is a difficult and time-consuming one. A proposed amendment must first be passed by two-thirds of both Houses of Congress before being sent to the states for ratification. The Archivist of the United States is responsible for administering the ratification process. Once an amendment has been ratified by the requisite number of states, the Archivist issues a certificate proclaiming it as an operative part of the Constitution.
Since the early 20th century, Congress has often stipulated a deadline of seven years for an amendment to be ratified by the required number of states. This authority was affirmed by the Supreme Court in 1939.
The first 10 amendments were adopted and ratified simultaneously, which is not always the case. For example, the 27th Amendment was ratified in 1992, 203 years after it was first proposed in 1789.
The first 10 amendments, or the Bill of Rights, are a significant part of the US Constitution, guaranteeing certain fundamental rights and freedoms to citizens. They include the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and the right to peaceably assemble and petition the government.
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The 27th Amendment was ratified 203 years after proposal
The United States Constitution has been amended 27 times, with the first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, being ratified on December 15, 1791. The most recent amendment, the 27th Amendment, was ratified 203 years after it was first proposed in 1789.
The 27th Amendment, also known as the Congressional Compensation Act of 1789, stipulates that "No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.". In other words, members of Congress are prohibited from raising or lowering their salaries during their term. Despite its seemingly common-sense nature, the 27th Amendment's journey to ratification was highly unconventional, taking 202 years and 7 months, the longest of any Constitutional amendment in American history.
The 27th Amendment was initially proposed by James Madison, a Representative from Virginia, on June 8, 1789. It was then submitted to the states for ratification, along with 11 other proposed amendments (Articles I-XII), by the First Congress on September 25, 1789. However, it failed to garner enough support, with only seven states ratifying it by 1792. The amendment was largely forgotten until 1982 when Gregory Watson, a 19-year-old undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin, wrote a paper on the subject for a political science course.
Intrigued by the amendment, Watson launched a nationwide campaign to complete its ratification. He spent several months writing letters to members of Congress and state legislators to gain support for the amendment. His efforts paid off, and by the end of the 1980s, nearly 20 states had ratified the amendment. Finally, on May 7, 1992, Michigan became the 38th state to ratify the 27th Amendment, fulfilling the three-fourths majority requirement for ratification.
The long delay between the proposal and ratification of the 27th Amendment raised legal questions about its validity. Some argued that it had expired or become unnecessary due to existing statutes. However, the Archivist of the United States concluded that it had met all the necessary requirements, and it became an official part of the Constitution. The story of the 27th Amendment's ratification showcases the enduring relevance of the United States Constitution and the power of citizen initiative in shaping the nation's laws.
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Congress governs the amendment process
The process of amending the US Constitution is a challenging task, as the framers intended when they wrote the document "to endure for ages to come". The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was enacted on March 4, 1789, with the first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, being ratified on December 15, 1791.
Congress plays a crucial role in the amendment process, as outlined in Article V of the Constitution. Members of the House and Senate typically propose around 200 amendments during each two-year term of Congress, amounting to approximately 11,848 proposals since 1789. The process begins when Congress proposes an amendment, which then requires the approval of two-thirds of both the House and the Senate for submission to the states. Once an amendment is proposed by Congress, the Archivist of the United States, who heads the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), is responsible for administering the ratification process under the provisions of 1 U.S.C. § 106b.
The Archivist has delegated many of the duties associated with this function to the Director of the Federal Register. The Director examines ratification documents for facial legal sufficiency and an authenticating signature. If the documents are in order, the Director acknowledges receipt and maintains custody until an amendment is adopted or fails. At this point, the records are transferred to the National Archives for preservation.
When an amendment is ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures (38 out of 50 states), it becomes part of the Constitution. The Archivist issues a certificate, proclaiming that the amendment has become an operative part of the Constitution. This certification is published in the Federal Register and U.S. Statutes at Large, serving as official notice to Congress and the nation that the amendment process is complete.
Since the early 20th century, Congress has occasionally stipulated a deadline for ratification, requiring an amendment to be ratified by the specified number of states within seven years of its submission to become part of the Constitution. Congress's authority to set a ratification deadline was affirmed by the Supreme Court in 1939 in Coleman v. Miller (307 U.S. 433).
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11,848 proposals have been introduced since 1789
The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was first put into operation on March 4, 1789. The first ten amendments, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791.
Since 1789, there have been 11,848 proposals introduced in Congress to amend the Constitution. Members of the House and Senate typically propose around 200 amendments during each two-year term of Congress. However, most of these proposals never make it out of the Congressional committees in which they were proposed. In fact, none of the proposals made in recent decades have become part of the Constitution. Since 1999, only about 20 proposed amendments have received a vote by either the full House or Senate.
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. This amendment was one of 33 amendments proposed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification since 1789. Twenty-seven of these amendments 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 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 amendments that have been ratified cover a range of topics. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, for example, are known as the Reconstruction Amendments. Other amendments have addressed issues such as the two-term presidential election limit, school prayer, flag desecration, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
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The last proposal to gain two-thirds support was in 1978
The process of amending the US Constitution is a difficult and time-consuming endeavour. A proposal must gain a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate before it can be submitted to the states for ratification. Since 1789, there have been approximately 11,848 proposals to amend the Constitution, with members of the House and Senate typically proposing around 200 amendments during each two-year term of Congress. However, none of the proposals made in recent decades have successfully become part of the Constitution.
The last proposal to gain two-thirds support in both the House and the Senate was in 1978, with the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment. This amendment, however, was never ratified by the required number of states and did not become part of the Constitution. Since 1999, only about 20 proposed amendments have received a vote by either the full House or Senate, illustrating the rarity of a proposal gaining the necessary support in Congress.
The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was drafted in 1787, with the first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, being ratified in 1791. The process of amending the Constitution typically involves proposals being introduced in Congress, followed by a vote in both the House and the Senate. If a proposal gains a two-thirds majority in both chambers, it is then sent to the states for ratification.
The ratification process requires approval by three-fourths of the state legislatures, or by state ratifying conventions, depending on the method prescribed by Congress. Amendments that have successfully been ratified become an operative part of the Constitution, with the Archivist of the United States administering the process and issuing a certificate of ratification. While the seven-year deadline for ratification has been affirmed by the Supreme Court, some amendments have been ratified many years after they were initially proposed, such as Article 2, which became the 27th Amendment in 1992, 203 years after it was first proposed.
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Frequently asked questions
27 times.
Four years. The US Constitution was drafted in 1787 and the first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791.
Since the early 20th century, Congress has had seven years to ratify an amendment from the date of its submission.
Approximately 11,848 proposals (as of January 3, 2019).
33.
