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More than 11,000 constitutional amendments have been proposed since the nation was founded; only 27 have passed.

Past constitutional amendments on such politically charged issues as flag-burning and balancing the federal budget have failed to pass.

THE CONSTITUTION'S AMENDMENTS
The Constitution has been amended 27 times. The first 10 amendments are known as the Bill of Rights.
(the first year listed is the year it was proposed, the second year is the year it was adopted)

I Freedom of religion, press, expression 1789 1791
II Right to bear arms 1789 1791
III Quartering of soldiers 1789 1791
IV Search and seizure 1789 1791
V Trial and punishment, compensation for takings 1789 1791
VI Right to speedy trial, confrontation of witnesses 1789 1791
VII Trial by jury in civil cases 1789 1791
VIII Cruel and unusual punishment 1789 1791
IX Construction of Constitution 1789 1791
X Powers of the states and people 1789 1791
XI Judicial limits 1794 1795
XII Choosing the president, vice- president 1803 1804
XIII Sl***** abolished 1865 1865
XIV Citizenship rights 1866 1868
XV Race no bar to vote 1869 1870
XVI Income taxes authorized 1909 1913
XVII Senators elected by popular vote 1912 1913
XVIII Liquor abolished 1917 1919*
XIX Women's suffrage 1919 1920
XX Presidential, Congressional terms 1932 1933
XXI XVIII repealed 1933 1933
XXII Presidential term limits 1947 1951
XXIII Presidential vote for District of Columbia 1960 1961
XXIV Poll tax barred 1962 1964
XXV Presidential disability and succession 1965 1967
XXVI Voting age set to 18 years 1971 1971
XXVII Congressional pay increases 1789 1992

*Repealed by XXI, Dec. 5, 1933
Source: Chronicle research
Chronicle Graphic

An amendment to ban same-sex marriage, like the amendment that banned the sale of liquor, "takes away a right (in order) to enforce a national moral code," said Jesse Choper, professor of constitutional law at UC Berkeley's Boalt Hall. Other legal experts say amendments like this are 'exercises in moral policing'.

The drafters of the Constitution deliberately made it hard to amend, requiring a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress and approval by three- quarters of the states. As James Madison explained in the Federalist Papers, amendments were to be reserved "for certain great and extraordinary occasions."