Changes to the Constitution

The Constitution is most commonly amended by the formal process of Congress proposing the amendment with a 2/3 vote in each house, and then state legislatures ratify the amendment by a vote of 3/4 of the states. Another formal process, in which has only been used once for the Tewnty-first Amendment, is by a 2/3 majority proposal in Congress, but rather than the state legislatures ratifying it, a state convention ratifies it by a vote of 3/4 of the states. There are two other formal methods that have never been used. The Constitution can also be informally changed without touching the document. An informal method in which the Constitution can be amended is through Judicial Interpretation. It can profoundly affect how the Constitution is understood because the Constitution usually means what the Supreme Court says it means. For example, in 1896 the Supreme Court decided the Constitution allowed racial discrimination,and several years later overrode it claiming it unconstitutional. Technology is also a means of informal Constitutional change because it has spurred the development of mass media that can rapidly reach huge audiences. The bureaucracy has gained importance with computers that help serve the public. Electronic communications and the development of atomic weapons have increased the significance of the president's role as commander in chief, thus increasing his power in the constitutional system. An example of informal change by technology includes proceedings of both the House and Senate are both now on TV, which influences the political agenda. Informal methods are most often used over formal because it takes less time and doesn't require actual altering of the document.