What is required for a constitutional amendment to be ratified?

For a constitutional amendment to be ratified, it must receive approval from three-fourths of the state legislatures or state conventions. This requirement is established in Article V of the U.S. Constitution, which outlines the amendment process. The framers designed this process to ensure that any significant changes to the Constitution would have widespread support across the states, reflecting a broad consensus rather than just a simple majority.

Ratification by three-fourths of the states underscores the importance of federalism and the equal role that each state plays in the governance of the nation. It prevents amendments from being passed based solely on the preferences of a few states or a simple majority in Congress, thus requiring a significant level of agreement among diverse state interests, which strengthens the legitimacy of the amendment process.

In regard to the other options, while two-thirds of Congress must approve an amendment before it can be sent to the states, that is only part of the process; it is the subsequent ratification by three-fourths of the states that ultimately determines whether the amendment becomes part of the Constitution. A simple majority is insufficient for such a significant change, and the Supreme Court does not play a role in the ratification process, as its function primarily involves interpreting the Constitution rather than altering its articles