#12: CIVICS 101: The Constitution
Q&A #12: How many amendments to the Constitution have been repealed?
Our American Government
Our American Government is a small book published by the House of Representatives for citizens and those who seek a greater understanding of the American interpretation of democracy. It follows a question-and-answer format and covers a broad range of topics dealing with the three branches of our Government, the electoral process, and the role of political parties.
The Savvy Citizen is reproducing the 169 questions-and-answers through a series of posts called Civics 101. Each post will contain the Q&A as well as some additional commentary to add historical context, fun facts, or anything we believe will add to our collective understanding of these topics.
Think of it as your adult Civics class, but without the test!
Let’s keep at it.
SECTION: The Constitution
Q&A #12: How many amendments to the Constitution have been repealed?
Only one, the 18th amendment (Prohibition), ratified in early 1919, was repealed by the 21st amendment in late 1933.
My Thoughts
The history of the prohibition movement is fascinating. Ken Burns’ documentary on the subject is very well done and I highly recommend it. You can watch it on PBS here.
It’s also important to see that the framers provided us with a way to amend the Constitution positively and negatively. We can add to it or subtract from it. This is how you change it. It’s a hard process and takes a lot of work, but that’s the point.
Back tomorrow with Q&A #13: What is meant by “separation of powers” and “checks and balances” in the Federal Government?
Meanwhile, don’t forget that we’re organizing the post links on a single page available here.
xo,
Kelley for the Savvy Citizen Team
October 22, 2024