How is an amendment ratified?

• A. By a national popular vote
• B. By the State legislatures of 3/4 of the States or by conventions in 3/4 of the States
• C. By the President's signature
• D. By Supreme Court ruling

Answer: (B)

Amendments are ratified by the states, not by the president or a nationwide popular vote. After an amendment is proposed—either by two-thirds of both houses of Congress or by a national convention called by two-thirds of the states—it moves to ratification. For ratification, three-fourths of the states must approve, and this can happen either through the state legislatures or through specially convened state conventions. This means 38 states must agree (today). The other paths—presidential signature or Supreme Court rulings—don’t apply to ratification. For context, the Bill of Rights was ratified by state legislatures, while the 21st Amendment used state conventions for ratification.