Article Five of The United States Constitution

Article Five Of The United States Constitution

Article Five of the United States Constitution describes the process whereby the Constitution may be altered. Altering the Constitution consists of proposing an amendment or amendments and subsequent ratification.

Amendments may be proposed by either :

  • two-thirds of both houses of the United States Congress ; or
  • by a national convention assembled at the request of the legislatures of at least two-thirds of the states.

To become part of the Constitution, amendments must then be ratified either by approval of :

  • the legislatures of three-fourths of the states ; or
  • state ratifying conventions held in three-fourths of the states.

Congress has discretion as to which method of ratification should be used.

Any amendment so ratified becomes a valid part of the Constitution, provided that no state "shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the senate," without its consent.

Read more about Article Five Of The United States Constitution:  Proposal, Ratification, Rescinding A Ratification, Deadline Imposed On Ratification Process, Proposed, But Unratified, Constitutional Amendments

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