Answer:
For an amendment to be added to the United States Constitution, the following steps must be taken:
Proposal: An amendment can be proposed in one of two ways:
By Congress: A two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives is required to propose an amendment.
By a Convention: Congress must call a convention for proposing amendments if requested by two-thirds of the state legislatures.
Ratification: After an amendment is proposed, it must be ratified by the states. There are two ways this can happen:
By the state legislatures: Three-fourths of the state legislatures must approve the amendment.
By conventions in the states: Three-fourths of the states must hold conventions to approve the amendment.
Once the proposed amendment has been ratified by either three-fourths of the state legislatures or three-fourths of the state conventions, it becomes part of the Constitution. The process is deliberate and requires broad support from both Congress and the states, which ensures that the Constitution is a document that reflects the values and principles of the American people.