Two-thirds and three-fourths. Those are the fractions that must be acknowledged by anyone who might think it worthwhile to attempt to change the Constitution.
In case one has not been paying attention, there’s a lot of hot air being expelled by Democratic candidates for president on this subject (e.g. here). Fun to spout words that sound and feel good to the sore losers from 2016, but to what end? How might this be done? It’s all in the handbook…
Any amendment that originates in Congress must be approved by two-thirds of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. If this happens, then the amendment is sent to the States. Three-fourths of the states must approve before the amendment is adopted. Think there are a sufficient number of smaller-population states (which is to say more than half of them) that are willing to eliminate their political clout in presidential elections?
The other route available for changing the Constitution? A new constitutional convention, which must be requested by, wait for it: two-thirds of the states. So far, this method has never been used for any of the amendments that have been adopted.
So, campers, 2/3 and ¾. Keep them in mind, and know how very hard it is to change anything in the Constitution. Which is a feature, not a bug.
self evident truths 