Jonah Patel
The United States Constitution has been amended twenty-seven times since its ratification in 1788. The shortest amendment in the Constitution is the Twenty-seventh Amendment, also known as the Congressional Compensation Act of 1789. This amendment states that any changes to the salary of members of Congress can only take effect after the next election of the House of Representatives. The amendment aims to reduce corruption by allowing the public to remove members of Congress before their salaries increase.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Text | The shortest amendment in the U.S. Constitution is the 27th Amendment. |
| Word Count | 47 words |
| Ratification | Ratified on May 7, 1992 |
| Subject | Congressional compensation |
| Overview | Prohibits any law that increases or decreases the salary of members of Congress from taking effect until the start of the next session of Congress. |
The 27th Amendment to the US Constitution is the shortest amendment and deals with an important check on the powers of Congress to set their own salaries.
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What You'll Learn
The Twenty-seventh Amendment
The idea behind this amendment is to reduce corruption in the legislative branch by requiring an election before a congressperson's salary increase takes effect. This allows the public to remove members of Congress from office before their salaries increase. The amendment was passed by a two-thirds vote of both Houses in 1789, along with eleven other proposed constitutional amendments. The last ten of these were ratified by the states in 1791 and became the Bill of Rights.
The legality of the ratification process has been debated by scholars, as there was never a "magic moment" of simultaneous approval by two-thirds of both Houses of Congress and three-quarters of the states. However, Congress declared the ratification legal in 1992, and the amendment is now part of the Constitution. As of today, 46 states have ratified the Twenty-seventh Amendment, while four have not: Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, and Pennsylvania.
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Reducing corruption in Congress
While the United States Constitution is a robust document, corruption in Congress remains a significant concern. Efforts to reduce corruption and increase transparency are ongoing, with representatives introducing various bills and legislative agendas to address these issues.
One notable example is Congressman Jared Golden, who introduced six bills designed to reduce the ability of elected officials to leverage their positions for personal profit. The bills aim to decrease the influence of foreign actors in American politics, close dark money loopholes, and increase transparency in political spending. Specifically, the "Stop Foreign Payoffs Act" seeks to ban members of Congress, presidents, vice presidents, and Cabinet secretaries, as well as their families, from earning salaries or holding investments in foreign businesses while in office. Another bill, the "Crack Down on Dark Money Act," targets mega-donors laundering secret political activity through nonprofits, reducing their cap on political activity and requiring donor disclosure for contributions over a certain threshold.
Congressman Joe Neguse has also led a group of next-generation reformers in introducing the "End Corruption Now" legislative agenda. This agenda comprises seven bills aimed at preventing the President, Executive Branch officials, and Members of Congress from personally benefiting from their offices. The agenda includes the "Close the Revolving Door Act," which imposes a lifetime ban on Members of Congress from serving as lobbyists, and the "Restoring Integrity in Democracy Resolution," prohibiting Members of Congress from serving on corporate boards.
Additionally, Congressman Golden's package of reforms includes the "TRUST in Congress Act," prohibiting members of Congress and their immediate family members from owning or trading stocks while in office, except through a qualified blind trust. This act aims to prevent conflicts of interest and ensure that officials' financial decisions do not influence their legislative duties.
These efforts by Congress members demonstrate a commitment to reducing corruption in Congress and restoring Americans' faith in their government. By introducing and supporting these bills, representatives are taking concrete steps toward increasing transparency, accountability, and integrity in the political system. It is through such legislative actions that the issue of corruption in Congress can be effectively addressed.
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History of the shortest amendment
The Twenty-seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution is the shortest amendment and reads:
> No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.
It was first proposed in 1789 by Representative James Madison of Virginia, who intended for it to be added to Article I, Section 6, Clause 1 of the Constitution. Madison's proposal was referred to a committee consisting of one representative from each state. After emerging from committee, the full House debated the issue and, on August 24, 1789, passed it and 16 other articles of amendment. The proposals then went to the Senate, which made 26 substantive alterations. On September 9, 1789, the Senate approved a package of 12 articles of amendment.
On September 21, 1789, a House–Senate conference committee convened to resolve differences between the House and Senate Bill of Rights proposals. Three days later, the committee issued its report, which finalised 12 proposed amendments for the House and Senate to consider. The House and Senate agreed to the report on September 25, 1789, and sent the 12 proposals to the states for their consideration. Ten of these, numbers 3–12, were ratified 27 months later and are known as the Bill of Rights.
The Twenty-seventh Amendment was not ratified by enough states to come into force with the other ten amendments. In fact, it was largely forgotten until 1982, when Gregory Watson, a 19-year-old student at the University of Texas at Austin, wrote a paper for a government class in which he claimed that the amendment was still pending before the states and could be ratified. Watson then launched a nationwide campaign to complete its ratification. The amendment eventually became part of the United States Constitution, effective May 5, 1992, almost 203 years after it was proposed.
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Other short amendments
The shortest amendment to the US Constitution is the Twenty-Seventh Amendment, which states:
> No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.
This amendment was proposed in 1789, but it was not ratified until 1992, making it the most recently adopted amendment. The Twenty-Seventh Amendment aims to reduce corruption in the legislative branch by requiring an election before any changes to the compensation of members of Congress come into effect.
The Twelfth Amendment
This amendment outlines the procedure for electing the President and Vice President, including the role of the House of Representatives and the Senate in the election process. It also specifies that no one constitutionally ineligible to be President can serve as Vice President.
The Twenty-Sixth Amendment
Passed in 1971, this amendment lowered the voting age to 18 years old, guaranteeing the right of US citizens aged 18 and above to vote without discrimination based on age.
The First Amendment
Part of the Bill of Rights, the First Amendment prohibits the government from establishing a religion or inhibiting the free exercise of religion. It also protects the freedom of speech and the right to peaceful assembly, among other key civil liberties.
The Seventeenth Amendment
This amendment changed the method of electing senators, transferring the power to elect senators directly from state legislatures to popular elections. It also outlines the process for filling vacant Senate seats through special elections.
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The ratification process
The process of ratifying an amendment to the U.S. Constitution is a multi-step procedure that ultimately requires three-fourths of the states (currently 38 states) to approve the amendment. Here is an overview of the ratification process:
Proposal by Congress
The first step in the amendment process occurs in Congress. A proposed amendment must be approved by a two-thirds majority vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives before it can move forward in the ratification process. This step can be initiated by any member of Congress at any time, and there is no limit to the number of proposals that can be introduced.
State Legislatures
Once an amendment is proposed by Congress, it is sent to the state legislatures for consideration. The legislatures can approve or reject the amendment, but they cannot modify it. Each state legislature votes on the amendment, and the process can vary from state to state. Some states may have special sessions specifically for considering amendments, while others may address them during their regular legislative sessions.
Ratification by the States
For an amendment to become part of the Constitution, it must be ratified by three-fourths of the states. This typically involves reaching out to a broad range of political and ideological perspectives across the country. States can ratify through their legislatures or, in certain cases, through state constitutional conventions, depending on the method specified by Congress. Thus far, all amendments have been ratified by state legislatures.
Certification by the Archivist of the United States
Once a sufficient number of states have ratified the amendment, the Archivist of the United States plays a crucial role in certifying the adoption of the amendment. This involves meticulously reviewing the ratification documents submitted by the states and confirming that the required number of states has approved the amendment.
Proclamation by the President
Following the Archivist's certification, the President issues an official proclamation, announcing to the nation that the amendment has successfully become an integral part of the Constitution. This proclamation serves as a formal recognition of the amendment's ratification and its permanent inclusion in the foundational document of the country.
It's important to remember that the ratification process can exhibit variation depending on the specific instructions and guidelines provided by Congress when proposing the amendment. Moreover, there are typically no deadlines or time limits imposed on the states for ratifying amendments. Should an amendment fail to secure ratification within a certain timeframe, the entire process would need to begin anew.
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Frequently asked questions
The shortest amendment to the US Constitution is the 27th Amendment, also known as the Congressional Compensation Act of 1789.
The 27th Amendment states that any law that increases or decreases the salary of members of Congress may only take effect after the next election of the House of Representatives.
The 27th Amendment was ratified on May 5, 1992, but it was one of the first amendments proposed in 1789.
Representative James Madison of Virginia introduced the 27th Amendment in the House of Representatives on June 8, 1789.
The 27th Amendment was proposed to reduce corruption in the legislative branch by allowing the public to remove members of Congress from office before their salaries increase.
