Question

What are three common ways to propose an amendment?

Answer 1

Three common ways to propose an amendment are through Congress, state legislatures, and initiatives.

Step-by-step explanation:

There are three common ways to propose an amendment:

• Through Congress: Both the House of Representatives and the Senate must approve a joint resolution amending the Constitution with a two-thirds supermajority vote. The amendment is then sent to the states for ratification.
• Through State Legislatures: Two-thirds of the state legislatures can ask Congress to call a national convention to propose amendments, although this method has never been used to date.
• Through Initiatives: Initiatives are laws or constitutional amendments proposed and passed by the citizens of a state. This method bypasses the legislatures and governors, but the initiatives are subject to review by the state courts to ensure consistency with the constitution.

Answer 2

There are actually two ways to propose an amendment stated in the Constitution and one has never been used.

In the first method a bill or project of law requires to pass both houses of the legislature by two-thirds majority in it. If the bill passes it goes on to the states. This is the way taken by all normal amendments. The second method requires a national convention to be called by two-third of the legislatures of the States and that Convention can propose one or more amendments, these amendments are sent back to the states to be approved by three-fourths of the legislatures or conventions. This method has never been taken.