Which Constitution is easier to amend?
Asked by: Pearline Fadel | Last update: January 26, 2026Score: 4.2/5 (63 votes)
There isn't one single "easiest" constitution, but national constitutions vary greatly in rigidity, with some being very hard (like the U.S. Constitution, amended only 27 times) and others much easier (like New Zealand's, amendable by simple legislative majority), while U.S. state constitutions are generally much simpler to amend than the federal one, often with high amendment rates. The ease of amendment depends on the specific process, requiring supermajorities, conventions, or simple votes.
Which Constitution can be easily amended?
A flexible constitution can be changed easily, while a rigid constitution requires special procedures for amendments.
Which Constitution is the hardest 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and virtually impervious to amendment, the United States Constitution has withstood all modern efforts to renovate its outdated architecture on elections, federalism, rights, and beyond.
What is the easiest way to amend the Constitution?
To propose amendments, two-thirds of both houses of Congress can vote to propose an amendment, or two-thirds of the state legislatures can ask Congress to call a national convention to propose amendments.
Is the U.S. Constitution easy to amend?
The amendment process is very difficult and time consuming: A proposed amendment must be passed by two-thirds of both houses of Congress, then ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states. The ERA Amendment did not pass the necessary majority of state legislatures in the 1980s.
Why is the US Constitution so hard to amend? - Peter Paccone
Which is the most amended Constitution in the world?
The Indian Constitution is the most amended national constitution in the world. The Constitution spells out governmental powers with so much detail that many matters addressed by statute in other democracies must be addressed via constitutional amendment in India.
What are the two rejected amendments?
The two rejected amendments from the original 1789 proposal, which became the Bill of Rights, were the Congressional Apportionment Amendment (setting a formula for House size) and the Congressional Pay Amendment (requiring intervening elections for pay raises). While the first remains unratified, the second eventually passed in 1992 as the 27th Amendment.
How many times has the U.S. Constitution been modified?
To date, the Constitution has been amended 27 times, most recently in 1992.
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 the most controversial constitutional amendment?
The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 is one of the most significant and controversial amendments to the Constitution of India, often referred to as the “Mini Constitution” due to the extensive and wide-ranging changes it introduced.
Can a president overturn an amendment?
But the president cannot repeal part of the Constitution by executive order. And Congress cannot repeal it by simply passing a new bill. Amending the Constitution would require a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate, and also ratification by three-quarters of the states.
What is the least useful amendment?
The Third Amendment seems to have no direct constitutional relevance at present; indeed, not only is it the least litigated amendment in the Bill of Rights, but the Supreme Court has never decided a case on the basis of it.
Are there any failed amendments?
During the course of our history, in addition to the twenty-seven Amendments which have been ratified by the required three-fourths of the states, six other amendments have been submitted to the states but have not been ratified by them.
What Constitution has been amended 27 times?
More than 11,000 amendments to the Constitution of the United States have been proposed, but only 27 have been ratified.
What is an example of a flexible Constitution?
The Constitution of United Kingdom is a typical example of a flexible Constitution. It is unwritten and British Parliament is competent to pass, amend or any constitutional law is an ordinary legislative process as both constitutional laws and ordinary laws are treated alike.
Did NATO invoke article 5?
Yes, NATO's Article 5, its collective defense clause, has been invoked only once in the alliance's history: following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. In response, NATO allies provided support, including deploying aircraft for U.S. airspace protection and participating in operations in Afghanistan, solidifying the principle that an attack on one member is an attack on all.
Does the president have the authority to pull out of NATO?
A U.S. President cannot unilaterally withdraw from NATO; recent legislation passed by Congress requires either a two-thirds Senate vote or a separate act of Congress to exit the alliance, blocking unilateral executive action, though legal challenges and potential political confrontations over this congressional authority remain.
What does Article V stand for?
art. V (stating that amendments to the Constitution may be 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 ).
Is God mentioned in the U.S. Constitution?
No, the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly mention God, Jesus, or Christianity; its framework is secular, focusing on governmental structure, though it mentions "religion" in the First Amendment to protect religious freedom and prohibit an established religion. The only divine reference is in the signing date, "in the Year of our Lord," a common phrase of the era, not a theological statement, notes TCU Magazine.
Has the 25th Amendment been invoked?
The first use of the 25th Amendment occurred in 1973 when President Richard Nixon nominated Congressman Gerald R. Ford of Michigan to fill the vacancy left by Vice President Spiro Agnew's resignation.
What are the six unratified amendments?
These unratified amendments address the size of the U.S. House (1789), foreign titles of nobility (1810), slavery (1861), child labor (1924), equal rights for women (1972), and representation for the District of Columbia (1978).
What is the forgotten amendment?
The Third Amendment to the United States Constitution is often referred to as the "forgotten amendment" due to its relative obscurity compared to other constitutional protections.
What would a 28th Amendment be?
There isn't one single "28th Amendment" yet; the term most often refers to the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which aims to guarantee legal equality regardless of sex, though its official publication and enforcement remain debated, with other proposals also being discussed, like gun control or economic rights. The ERA, first proposed in 1923, passed Congress in 1972 but faces hurdles, with advocates arguing it's validly ratified and should be published as the 28th Amendment, while others propose new amendments for issues like gun safety or housing.
What amendment was never ratified?
The last ten Articles were ratified in 1791 to become the Bill of Rights, but the first two, the Twenty-seventh Amendment and the proposed Congressional Apportionment Amendment, were not ratified by enough states to come into force with them.