American Promise

An Amendment Era is Upon Us Constitutional amendments are such an integral part of the Constitution that we cannot describe the Constitution without thinking about amendments. Our Constitution opens with the phrase “We the People.” It has literally – not symbolically – been shaped by the people who demand, debate, and push amendments through the arduous Article V process of a ? vote in Congress and ratification in ¾ of the states so as to improve and adapt the Constitution to their needs. The history of amending the US Constitution consists of four brief amendment eras that have occurred roughly every 50 years since the Constitution was adopted. In fact, millions of Americans alive today participated in winning constitutional amendment campaigns: four constitutional amendments were passed during the last amendment era, between 1961-1971*.