Malcolm Rivera
The process of amending the US Constitution is a two-step procedure that involves proper proposal and ratification. The last constitutional amendment proposed was the Twenty-seventh Amendment (Amendment XXVII), which was proposed on September 25, 1789, along with 11 other amendments. It was ratified and became part of the US Constitution on May 5, 1992, 203 years after it was proposed.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of Amendment | Twenty-seventh Amendment (Amendment XXVII), also known as the Congressional Compensation Act of 1789 |
| Date Proposed | September 25, 1789 |
| Date Ratified | May 5, 1992 |
| Number of States that Ratified | 38 (three-fourths of the states) |
| Subject Matter | Reducing corruption in the legislative branch by requiring an election before a congressperson's salary increase takes effect |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The Twenty-seventh Amendment
The amendment states that any law that increases or decreases the salary of members of Congress can only take effect after the next election of the House of Representatives. This was intended to reduce corruption in the legislative branch by allowing the public to remove members of Congress from office before their salaries increase.
The amendment was finally ratified by the required three-quarters of state legislatures in 1992, 203 years after it was first proposed. On May 18, 1992, the Archivist of the United States, Don W. Wilson, certified that the amendment's ratification had been completed. On May 20, 1992, Congress declared the ratification to be legal, and the Twenty-seventh Amendment officially became part of the Constitution.
The Second Amendment: Right to Bear Arms
You may want to see also
The Bill of Rights
The last constitutional amendment proposed was the Twenty-seventh Amendment (Amendment XXVII), also known as the Congressional Compensation Act of 1789. It was submitted to the states for ratification on September 25, 1789, along with 11 other proposed amendments.
The amendments of the Bill of Rights add to the Constitution specific guarantees of personal freedoms, such as freedom of speech, the right to publish, freedom of religion, the right to assemble, and other natural and legal rights. It also includes explicit declarations that all powers not specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution are reserved for the states or the people.
The concepts codified in these amendments are built upon those in earlier documents, especially the Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776), the Northwest Ordinance (1787), the English Bill of Rights (1689), and the Magna Carta (1215).
The 23rd Amendment: A Historic Addition in 1961
You may want to see also
The First Congress
The last Constitutional amendment proposed was the Parental Rights Amendment, also known as the "Parents' Rights Amendment" or "Amendment to the Constitution on Parental Rights." This proposed amendment seeks to protect parental rights and ensure that parents are recognized as the legal guardians of their children with fundamental rights to direct their education, care, and control.
The Bill of Rights includes the first ten amendments and guarantees essential freedoms and rights, including freedom of speech, religion, and assembly, the right to bear arms, protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, and various
Approval Needed for Constitutional Amendments
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Ratification
The last constitutional amendment proposed was Amendment XXVII, also known as the Congressional Compensation Act of 1789. It was proposed by the First Congress of the United States on September 25, 1789, along with 11 other amendments.
The process of ratification is a critical step in amending the US Constitution, and it involves seeking approval from a specified number of states to enact an amendment. In the case of the Twenty-seventh Amendment, it took a remarkably long time to achieve ratification. While it was initially proposed in 1789, it was not ratified until 1992, over two centuries later.
The Twenty-seventh Amendment addresses the salaries of members of Congress, stating that any law that increases or decreases their compensation may only take effect after the next election of the House of Representatives. This amendment was designed to reduce potential corruption in the legislative branch by allowing the public to remove members of Congress from office before their salaries increase.
The long delay in the ratification of the Twenty-seventh Amendment was due to several factors. Initially, the amendment gained traction, with seven states ratifying it by 1792. However, it then stalled, and for the next eight decades, no additional states ratified it. This lengthy hiatus was likely due to shifting political priorities and a lack of sustained momentum.
It wasn't until 1873 that the Ohio General Assembly ratified the amendment, primarily in protest of an unpopular Congressional pay raise. Even then, another century would pass before the amendment finally crossed the finish line. In 1978, the Wyoming Legislature became the eighth state to ratify, still shy of the three-fourths majority required for adoption.
The turning point came in 1982 when Gregory Watson, a 19-year-old undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin, wrote a paper for a government class arguing for the completion of ratification. Watson then launched a nationwide campaign to achieve this goal. His efforts proved successful, and on May 5, 1992, the Twenty-seventh Amendment officially became part of the United States Constitution.
The Twenty-seventh Amendment stands as a testament to the enduring relevance of the founding documents and the ability of citizens to shape the course of history. Despite the challenges and lengthy timeline, the amendment's ratification demonstrates the resilience of democratic processes and the power of individual initiative.
The Ninth Amendment: Protecting Our Unalienable Rights
You may want to see also
The US Constitution
On September 25, 1789, the First Congress of the United States proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights. Ten of these amendments were ratified on December 15, 1791, and became the first 10 amendments of the Constitution, collectively known as the Bill of Rights. These amendments guarantee essential freedoms and rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and assembly, the right to keep and bear arms, and protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.
However, two of the original 12 amendments were not ratified at that time. The first of these, initially proposed in 1789, eventually became the Twenty-seventh Amendment and was ratified over 200 years later on May 5, 1992. This amendment addresses congressional compensation, stating that any law changing the salary of members of Congress can only take effect after the next election of the House of Representatives. The goal of this amendment was to reduce corruption in the legislative branch by giving the public a chance to remove members of Congress before their salary increases take effect.
The process of amending the Constitution is deliberate and rigorous. Amendments must be properly proposed and ratified before becoming operative. They can be proposed by a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives or by a national convention called by Congress at the request of two-thirds of the state legislatures. To become part of the Constitution, an amendment must be ratified by three-fourths of the states, either through their legislatures or state conventions. This two-step process ensures that any changes to the nation's foundational document reflect the will of the people and are in the country's best interests.
Since the Constitution's inception, there have been 27 amendments, with the Twenty-seventh Amendment being the most recently adopted. These amendments stand as a testament to the nation's commitment to upholding and evolving its democratic ideals.
The 14th Amendment: A Historic Addition to the US Constitution
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The last constitutional amendment proposed was the Twenty-seventh Amendment or Amendment XXVII, also known as the Congressional Compensation Act of 1789. It was proposed on September 25, 1789, and was ratified on May 5, 1992.
The amendment states that any law that increases or decreases the salary of members of Congress may take effect only after the next election of the House of Representatives has occurred.
The idea behind the amendment was to reduce corruption in the legislative branch by allowing the public to remove members of Congress from office before their salaries increase.
