<P> Article Five of the United States Constitution describes the process whereby the Constitution , the nation 's frame of government , may be altered . Altering the Constitution consists of proposing an amendment or amendments and subsequent ratification . Amendments may be proposed either by the Congress with a two - thirds vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a convention of states called for by two - thirds of the state legislatures . To become part of the Constitution , an amendment must be ratified by either -- as determined by Congress -- the legislatures of three - quarters of the states or state ratifying conventions in three - quarters of the states . The vote of each state ( to either ratify or reject a proposed amendment ) carries equal weight , regardless of a state 's population or length of time in the Union . </P>
<P> Article Five of the United States Constitution describes the process whereby the Constitution , the nation 's frame of government , may be altered . Altering the Constitution consists of proposing an amendment or amendments and subsequent ratification . Amendments may be proposed either by the Congress with a two - thirds vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a convention of states called for by two - thirds of the state legislatures . To become part of the Constitution , an amendment must be ratified by either -- as determined by Congress -- the legislatures of three - quarters of the states or state ratifying conventions in three - quarters of the states . The vote of each state ( to either ratify or reject a proposed amendment ) carries equal weight , regardless of a state 's population or length of time in the Union . </P>
who has the power to propose amendments to the u.s. constitution
who has the power to propose amendments to the u.s. constitution
either by the Congress or by a convention of states
either by the Congress or by a convention of states