2008 civics test · Question 7 · Principles of American Democracy
How many amendments does the Constitution have?
Official answer
- twenty-seven (27)
What this means
The Constitution has 27 amendments. An amendment is a formal change or addition to the Constitution.
The first ten were added together in 1791 and are called the Bill of Rights. They protect freedoms like speech, religion, and the right to a fair trial. The remaining 17 were added one at a time over more than two centuries, ending slavery, extending the vote to women, and lowering the voting age to 18.
Amending the Constitution is deliberately difficult: it takes two-thirds of Congress and approval by three-quarters of the states. That is why there have been only 27 in over 230 years.
Answer with the number: twenty-seven (27).
Why this is on the test
The number shows that the Constitution can change. Several later questions ask about specific amendments, so knowing there are 27 gives you a frame for the rest.
How this question is asked
On the 2008 civics test, the officer asks up to 10 of the 100 questions out loud and you pass by answering 6 correctly. You answer in your own words. There is no multiple choice and nothing to write down for the civics portion.
Related questions
More from Principles of American Democracy.
- 1 What is the supreme law of the land?
- 2 What does the Constitution do?
- 3 The idea of self-government is in the first three words of the Constitution. What are these words?
- 4 What is an amendment?
- 5 What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
- 6 What is one right or freedom from the First Amendment? ★ 65/20 question