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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/civics-amendments

How are changes made to the U.S. Constitution?

Through amendments, using the amendment process.

  1. Amendments ✔
  2. Executive orders
  3. Supreme Court rulings

Why: An amendment is a formal change or addition to the Constitution. Executive orders and court rulings cannot rewrite its text. Only the amendment process can.

Huh, didn't know that: The usual path: two-thirds of both houses of Congress propose an amendment, and three-fourths of the states ratify it.

The dad joke
Why was the Constitution so calm about changes? It knew how to make amends.
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Sources

  1. USCIS M-1778, 128 Civics Questions and Answers (2025 version) https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/questions-and-answers/2025-Civics-Test-128-Questions-and-Answers.pdf

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