▁am end ment . ▁Six teen ▁states ▁rat ified ▁the ▁am end ment ▁( tw enty - two ▁short ▁of ▁the ▁number ▁required ▁for ▁it ▁to ▁be ▁implemented ) ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁dead line , ▁thus ▁it ▁failed ▁to ▁be ▁adopted . ▁ ▁Jud icial ▁review ▁ ▁The ▁way ▁the ▁Constitution ▁is ▁understood ▁is ▁influenced ▁by ▁court ▁dec isions , ▁especially ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court . ▁These ▁dec isions ▁are ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁preced ents . ▁Jud icial ▁review ▁is ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁the ▁Court ▁to ▁examine ▁federal ▁legisl ation , ▁federal ▁executive , ▁and ▁all ▁state ▁branches ▁of ▁government , ▁to ▁decide ▁their ▁constitution ality , ▁and ▁to ▁strike ▁them ▁down ▁if ▁found ▁un const itution al . ▁ ▁Jud icial ▁review ▁includes ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁the ▁Court ▁to ▁explain ▁the ▁meaning ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution ▁as ▁it ▁applies ▁to ▁particular ▁cases . ▁Over ▁the ▁years , ▁Court ▁dec isions ▁on ▁issues ▁r anging ▁from ▁government al ▁reg ulation ▁of ▁radio ▁and ▁television ▁to ▁the ▁rights ▁of ▁the ▁accused ▁in ▁criminal ▁cases ▁have ▁changed ▁the ▁way ▁many ▁constitution al ▁cla uses ▁are ▁interpreted , ▁without ▁am end ment ▁to ▁the ▁actual ▁text ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution . ▁ ▁Legisl ation ▁passed ▁to ▁implement ▁the ▁Constitution , ▁or ▁to ▁adapt ▁those ▁implementations ▁to ▁changing ▁conditions , ▁broad ens ▁and , ▁in ▁subt le ▁ways , ▁changes ▁the ▁mean ings ▁given ▁to ▁the ▁words ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution . ▁Up ▁to ▁a ▁point , ▁the ▁rules ▁and ▁reg ulations ▁of ▁the ▁many ▁federal ▁executive ▁ag encies