Which description describes how an amendment can be proposed and ratified?

• A. Proposals by two-thirds of Congress or a national convention; ratification by three-fourths of the states.
• B. Proposals by a national convention; ratification by three-fourths of the states.
• C. Proposals by the President; ratification by the states.
• D. Proposals by the Supreme Court; ratification by popular vote.

Answer: (B)

Amending the Constitution requires a deliberate two-stage process with very high thresholds: proposal and ratification. One valid way to propose an amendment is through a national convention called for by two-thirds of the states. Once proposed, the amendment must be ratified by three-fourths of the states, either through state legislatures or by ratifying conventions in the states. This pairing—proposing via a national convention and ratifying by three-fourths of the states—fits the constitutional design and is one of the legitimate routes to amend.

Other options rely on bodies that do not have a role in proposing amendments (the President or the Supreme Court), and a simple popular vote cannot ratify amendments.