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Amendment Pros And Cons

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Due to its great elasticity, the United States Constitution has flourished and overcome various political and social challenges over the past two hundred years. Elasticity in this context renders a document changeable and adaptable. This inherent characteristic has allowed for a government that has survived for more than two centuries. The amendment process has allowed the Constitution to stay in place, as it is difficult to alter. Although the amendment process is strict in nature, it simultaneously ensures a flexible government whose interests reside in the bettering of the country, as it prevents any amendments that are not imperative to the well-being of the nation from being passed. The supreme Court’s ability to interpret the Constitution …show more content…
In order for an amendment to be proposed it needs to be deemed necessary by two thirds of the Senate and two thirds of the House of Representatives. Another option for the proposal of an amendment is two thirds of the state legislature agreeing to call a national convention where they would deliberate if an amendment should be proposed and ratified. To be ratified, the proposed amendment needs to be accepted by three fourths of the Senate and three fourths of the House of Representatives. If a national convention of state legislatures is called, there would need to be a three fourths vote for ratification as well (U.S Constitution Article V). This seemingly rigid system for amendment proposal and ratification is in place so the Constitution is not easily altered. If the Constitution could be easily altered, it would cause the Constitution to not reflect the views of the citizens. This system makes the Constitution more flexible because it allows for the Constitution to be altered, but not without precautions. The ability to change the Constitution prevents the need for an entirely new document to be made when a new amendment could be made to fix the issue. The process of amendment proposal and ratification is another reason why the Constitution is elastic. The difficulty of this ratification process prevents a drastic change to the Constitution, while still allowing change when it is

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