How Does The Constitution Change

Thomas Jefferson once said that the Constitution “belongs to the living and not to the dead.” This means that the Constitution is subject for change in order to be applicable to our fluctuating society. The Constitution can be changed both formally and informally. A formal amendment will change the letter of the Constitution. The two ways to amend the Constitution is by proposal and ratification. If a change is proposed then their needs to be a two-thirds majority in each house by Congress, or Congress can request a national convention with two-thirds of the state legislators. In order to be ratified it needs the legislatures of three-fourths of the states, or by certain special state conventions. The informal tactics that have changed the Constitution are judicial interpretation, changing political practice, advancement in technology, and increasing demands on policy makers. These informal ways of change are all something that the founding fathers could not predict when they were originally writing the Constitution. It would of been impossible for Thomas Jefferson to know that our technology would be advancing so rapidly, the choice to have an abortion, or
In Albert Hunt’s article “Constitutional Convention Gathers Some Steam” he addresses the point that with the current disappointments and frustrations with the presidency, a new conservative Congress is fed up. Conservative Senators Ron Johnson and Tom Coburn have endorsed a constitutional convention. Their main goals are to change the nation’s budget and limit the federal government's spending and tax powers. Despite the outrage towards Washington, the chances of a convention actually happening and something being accomplished are very small. The support is limited and in fact there are conservatives who have spoken against this idea. The outcomes are unknown and many believe that little can be accomplished from a