Table of Contents
Can state amendments be changed?
Two-thirds of the membership of each chamber of the California State Legislature must propose an amendment, which then goes on a statewide ballot to be ratified or rejected by the state’s voters. The state legislature is allowed to propose revisions (not just amendments) to the constitution.
What are the four ways that a state constitution can be amended?
Four Methods of Amending the U.S. Constitution
| Method | Step 1 |
|---|---|
| 1. | A two-thirds vote in both houses of the U.S. Congress |
| 2. | A two-thirds vote in both houses of U.S. Congress |
| 3. | A national constitutional convention called by two-thirds of the state legislatures |
| 4. | A national convention called by two-thirds of the state legislatures |
Which of these is a common way to amend a state constitution?
a) The most common way to add an amendment to the Constitution would be to propose it by a 2/3 vote of each house of Congress and be ratified by 3/4 of the state legislatures.
How can you change the state and federal constitutions?
To alter the Constitution, an amendment is proposed by Congress and requires a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate. After the amendment is approved by Congress, it must be ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states before it is added.
Can a constitutional amendment be unconstitutional?
As part of the Constitution, an amendment to the Constitution cannot be declared unconstitutional, because the constitution cannot violate itself.
How do state constitutions and federal constitutions differ?
But there are various ways state constitutions differ from the federal Constitution. Often, state constitutions are much longer and more detailed than the federal Constitution. State constitutions focus more on limiting rather than granting power since its general authority has already been established.
Do federal statutes take precedence over the US Constitution?
Part of what a written constitution meant was a fundamental law that took priority over ordinary federal statutes. (It is worth noting that Chief Justice Marshall placed significant reliance on this argument in Marbury.) Thus, it is not optional for the courts to treat the Constitution as taking priority over federal statutes.
Are state constitutions constitutional?
Each state in the United States has its own constitution. Of course, all state constitutions are inferior (in a legal sense) to the United States Constitution, and when reading state constitutions, this must be kept in mind — a state constitution, for example, cannot validly authorize a state religion.