Article Five of the United States Constitution

How amendments are made

Article Five specifies two stages: proposal and ratification. There are two methods to propose an amendment and two methods to ratify one. The most common path begins in Congress; less frequently, a national convention of states may be used.

• Proposal: An amendment can be proposed either by a two‑thirds vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, or by a convention called for by two‑thirds of state legislatures.
• Ratification: Once proposed, an amendment must be approved by three‑quarters of the states, either through their legislatures or by conventions in the states, depending on the mode Congress selects.

Protected clauses and limits

Article Five also preserves certain protections that were built into the original Constitution. It contains a clause preventing changes that would deprive a state of its equal representation in the Senate without that state's consent. The Constitution originally included temporary restrictions on altering certain fiscal and importation provisions, a notable one being the prohibition on banning the importation of enslaved people prior to 1808; these were transitional within the founding framework. For full text and context, see Article One references: Article One.

History, practice and examples

In practice, Article Five has produced a relatively small number of amendments compared with all proposed changes. The first ten amendments, ratified as the Bill of Rights, were added shortly after the Constitution was adopted to address concerns about individual liberties. Over time, amendments have addressed voting rights, federal powers, and government procedures. As of now there are twenty‑seven ratified amendments, including widely known changes such as the abolition of slavery, extension of voting rights, and adjustment of the voting age.

Notable features and significance

The Article Five process is intentionally stringent: supermajorities and broad geographic support are required, which helps ensure durability and national legitimacy for changes. Congress has at times attached time limits to the ratification period of proposed amendments. The alternative convention route has never been used to propose an amendment, though it remains part of the constitutional design as a state-initiated check.

Overall, Article Five plays a central role in American constitutional government by providing a stable but adaptable procedure for legal and political evolution.