Existing comment:
Our First Constitution Failed:
The Articles of Confederation, our first system of government, required unanimous consent to be amended. When representatives of 12 of the 13 states gathered in Philadelphia in 1787 to propose changes to the Articles of Confederation, they quickly realized that it would be impossible to get all states to agree on all of the changes. They decided to discard the Articles altogether and start anew. The result was the Constitution.
A Balance of Flexibility and Stability:
The Founders purposefully made it hard, but not impossible, to amend the Constitution. Article V of the Constitution was included to provide a way for amendments to be made in an orderly, reasonable way. Article V aimed for middle ground -- flexible, yet stable.
Our Amending Power is an American Innovation:
Rarely before did a people have the ability to peacefully adapt and adjust their government. Before Article V in our Constitution, governments generally changed through war or violence, not votes. The Founders believed that the people should have a voice in constitutional matters, not just regular legislation. |