Skip to main content

Convention of the States

This project is independent and non-partisan. It is not aligned with any existing organization. The goal is straightforward civic education: understand the mechanism, weigh the tradeoffs, and decide what you believe America should do.

Article V in plain English

The Constitution includes two paths for formal amendments. Congress can propose amendments (the path used for most amendments in U.S. history). Separately, if enough states ask for it, Congress must call a convention for proposing amendments. That second path is what people often call a “convention for proposing amendments” or, informally, a “Convention of the States.”

The details—what counts as an application, how similar proposals must be, and how delegates are chosen—are contested among scholars and lawyers. This site will add deeper references and primary sources over time, linked directly from the book chapters.

Non-partisan framing

A convention process is a tool. Like any powerful tool, it can be discussed on the merits: risks, safeguards, and the public trust required to use it responsibly. This project focuses on education and debate—not party identity.

Take the next step