Amendments to the U.S. Constitution require proposal and ratification by which bodies?

• A. The President
• B. The Supreme Court
• C. State legislatures
• D. State conventions

Answer: (C)

Amendments move through a two-stage process: proposal and ratification, and the President or Supreme Court don’t have a formal role in either step. Proposals are made by Congress with a two-thirds vote in both houses, or by a national convention called for by two-thirds of the states. Ratification then happens by three-fourths of the states, either through state legislatures or through state conventions. Among the given options, state legislatures are the ratifying body most commonly used, which is why this choice aligns with the typical path for amending the Constitution. It’s also useful to note that state conventions are an alternative ratification method that has been used in at least one case.