What is an amendment?

Why This Matters

The USCIS interviewer asks this question because amendments are a key part of how American government works. An amendment is a change or addition to the Constitution. The Founders knew that the world would change over time, so they built a way to update the Constitution without throwing it away and starting over.

The process of amending the Constitution is intentionally difficult. An amendment must be proposed by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, or by a convention called by two-thirds of state legislatures. Then it must be ratified, or approved, by three-fourths of the states. This high bar makes sure that only changes with very broad support become part of the Constitution.

Amendments have been used to make some of the most important changes in American history. They ended slavery, gave women the right to vote, and guaranteed equal protection under the law for all citizens. Without the amendment process, the Constitution would be frozen in 1787 and unable to address the needs of a modern nation.

Key Facts

• The Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was ratified in 1788
• The first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791
• The 13th Amendment (1865) abolished slavery throughout the United States
• The 19th Amendment (1920) gave women the right to vote nationwide
• The most recent amendment, the 27th, was ratified in 1992 and deals with congressional pay

Common Mistakes

• Saying an amendment is "a new law", amendments change the Constitution itself, which is different from ordinary laws passed by Congress
• Thinking amendments can be made easily or quickly, the process requires supermajority support at both the federal and state levels
• Confusing an amendment with an executive order, an executive order is issued by the President alone and does not change the Constitution

Study Tip

Think of the Constitution as a house. An amendment is like adding a new room or remodeling an old one. The house stays standing, but it gets updated to fit the needs of the family living in it. A change to the Constitution, an addition to the Constitution, that is an amendment.