What is the majority needed to amend the Constitution?
Asked by: Herminio Hirthe | Last update: February 8, 2026Score: 4.3/5 (33 votes)
To amend the U.S. Constitution, a proposed amendment needs a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate (or a national convention called by two-thirds of states) for proposal, followed by ratification by the legislatures or conventions of three-fourths of the states (38 states), making it a supermajority process for both proposal and ratification.
What majority is needed to amend the Constitution?
Congress must call a convention for proposing amendments upon application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the states (i.e., 34 of 50 states). Amendments proposed by Congress or convention become valid only when ratified by the legislatures of, or conventions in, three-fourths of the states (i.e., 38 of 50 states).
How much majority is required to amend the Constitution?
The majority of the provisions in the Constitution can be amended only by a Special Majority (more than 50 percent of the total membership of the House and a majority of two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting).
Why is 2/3 majority required?
As a compromise between the rights of the individual and the rights of the assembly, the principle has been established that a two-thirds vote is required to adopt any motion that: (a) suspends or modifies a rule of order previously adopted; (b) prevents the introduction of a question for consideration; (c) closes, ...
How many out of 13 votes were needed to amend the article?
The Articles required unanimous consent to any amendment, so all 13 states would need to agree on a change. Given the rivalries between the states, that rule made the Articles impossible to adapt after the war ended with Britain in 1783. 6.
Why is the US Constitution so hard to amend? - Peter Paccone
Can the U.S. President change the Constitution?
Amending the Constitution would require a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate, and also ratification by three-quarters of the states. The effort to erase the citizenship guarantee will never clear those hurdles — for very good reasons.
What was the supermajority of the Articles of Confederation?
Using the tested 9-state supermajority, the process provided that if 9 states approved the new Constitution, it would become binding upon them; other states would be free to join or remain separate from this new union.
Has there ever been a supermajority in Congress?
Johnson's presidency. The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives was based on the 1960 United States census. Both chambers had a Democratic supermajority, and with the election of President Lyndon B. Johnson to his own term in office, maintaining an overall federal government trifecta.
Why do they need 60 votes in the Senate?
Second, for cases in which a large majority either in favor of or against the question cannot be assumed, the 60-vote threshold accomplishes the same purpose as a filibuster by preventing or delaying passage, but without requiring the Senate to engage in extended debate.
Does abstention count towards majority?
Abstentions do not count in tallying the vote negatively or positively; when members abstain, they are in effect attending only to contribute to a quorum. Instead, blank votes may be counted in the total of votes, depending on the legislation.
What percent vote to change the Constitution?
A constitutional amendment can be initiated by the Legislature if it passes both houses by a two-thirds vote.
What is an example of absolute majority?
The term 'Absolute Majority' refers to a majority of the total membership of the House, irrespective of the fact whether there are vacant seats or absentees. For example, since the total strength of the Lok Sabha is 543, the Absolute Majority for the Lok Sabha = ([543/2) + 1] = 272.
Can the Supreme Court repeal an amendment?
On 1 January 2024, the Supreme Court ruled 12-3 that it may reject amendments to Basic Laws in "extreme" circumstances. That specific amendment was struck down by an 8–7 vote. In the decision, the justices noted that the judicial overhaul would jeopardise the basic characteristic of Israel as a democratic country.
What is the world's most difficult Constitution to amend?
Far from being a badge of honor, the distinction of topping the global charts on constitutional rigidity is cause for alarm. Ancient and virtually impervious to amendment, the United States Constitution has withstood all modern efforts to renovate its outdated architecture on elections, federalism, rights, and beyond.
Has Article V ever been used?
Overview. Article V of the U.S. Constitution provides two avenues for amending the Constitution. One of those avenues – an Article V Convention – has never before been used, in part because it could put the entire Constitution on the chopping block.
What is the Godel loophole?
In his 2012 paper "Gödel's Loophole", F. E. Guerra-Pujol speculates that the loophole is that Article V's procedures can be applied to Article V itself. It can therefore be altered in a "downward" direction, making it easier to alter the article again in the future.
What is rule 14 in the Senate?
Senate Rule XIV, paragraph 4, states that "every bill and joint resolution introduced on leave, and every bill and joint resolution of the House of Representatives which shall have received a first and second reading without being referred to a committee, shall, if objection be made to further proceeding thereon, be ...
Has the 60 vote rule been changed back?
The text of Rule XXII was never changed. Although the 60-vote threshold was eliminated for most nominations, nominations are still susceptible to being delayed by filibusters, and 60 votes were still required to invoke cloture on other questions such as legislation and Supreme Court nominations.
Has the filibuster ever been eliminated?
On April 6, 2017, Senate Republicans eliminated the sole exception to the 2013 change by invoking the nuclear option to extend the 2013 precedent to include Supreme Court nominees. This was done in order to allow a simple majority to confirm Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.
What was Obama's filibuster proof majority?
In the November 2008 elections, the Democratic Party increased its majorities in both chambers (including – when factoring in the two Democratic caucusing independents – a brief filibuster-proof 60-40 supermajority in the Senate), and with Barack Obama being sworn in as president on January 20, 2009, this gave ...
What party controls all 3 branches now?
The term is primarily used in the United States, where it originated. It is borrowed from horse race betting. From 2017 to 2019 and since 2025 in the United States, the Republican Party has held the Senate, House of Representatives, and the presidency.
What was the US called before 1776?
Before 1776, the land that became the United States was known as British America, a collection of distinct colonies, often called the "United Colonies" (or "United Colonies of North America") by the colonists themselves, who identified more with their specific colony than a unified nation. The name "United States of America" first appeared in the Declaration of Independence in July 1776, officially adopted by the Second Continental Congress in September 1776.
Who has the most power under the new government in the Articles of Confederation?
The Articles of Confederation created a Nation that was "a league of friendship and perpetual union,” but it was the state governments that had most of the power under the Articles, with little power given to the central government.
What actions in the Constitution require a supermajority?
The Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of the Members voting, a quorum being present, of either the House, the Senate, or both in five situations: (1) overriding presidential vetoes,1 (2) voting to convict federal officers in impeachment trials (Senate),2 (3) providing advice and consent to treaties (Senate),3 (4) ...