Explanation:
The Constitution of the United States was ratified in 1789, making it 229 years old, the oldest constitution in the modern world.
As the United States has continued to grow and face unique challenges brought on through modern warfare, alliances, and technology, some critics have argued that the Framers of the Constitution could not have foreseen the changes the United States would experience. What can we do to update the Constitution to address these new issues? Well, the Framers thought of a solution: citizens could add changes to the Constitution.
The Framers added a process for amending, or changing, the Constitution in Article V. Since 1789, the United States has added 27 amendments to the Constitution. An amendment is a change to the Constitution. The first ten amendments to the Constitution became known as the Bill of Rights. These first amendments were designed to protect individual rights and liberties, like the right to free speech and the right to trial by jury.Article V describes the process for amending the Constitution. But the Framers intended for the amendment process to be difficult: although the federal government could add amendments, three-fourths of states have to ratify every amendment.
“The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.”
