Reading Room Document

Amending the Constitution by Convention

This document provides an analysis of the constitutional law pertaining to the process of amending the Constitution by convention. It discusses the questions and issues surrounding the amendment process, including the validity of State applications, the aggregation of applications on different topics, limitations on the convention's deliberations, and the role of the President in Congress' call for a convention. The document also explores the role of the courts in reviewing questions related to the amendment process. The conclusions reached in the document include the necessity of a national consensus for calling a convention, the ability of Congress to impose limitations on the convention's deliberations, and the potential reviewability of certain questions by the courts. The questions presented for review include the lapse of State applications over time, the aggregation of applications on different topics, and the involvement of the President in Congress' call for a convention.

January 16, 1979