How this works. Each stem starts an analytical sentence. Finish it in one or two sentences with a named case, a date and a clear analytical point. Press the hint button if you stall.
Sentence 1Article V threshold
Article V requires that constitutional amendments be ratified by
Hint: Two thresholds — congressional supermajority plus a state ratification supermajority.
Sentence 2Last amendment
The last substantive amendment to the US Constitution was
Hint: The last substantive change is from the 1970s — and the only later one was a technicality.
Sentence 3ERA
The Equal Rights Amendment campaign shows amendment dysfunction because
Hint: ERA: passed Congress 1972 but the ratification clock has run for over five decades, with legal status still contested.
Sentence 4DC voting rights
Washington DC's lack of congressional representation is a textbook democratic deficit because
Hint: DC has more residents than some states — yet a 1978 Voting Rights Amendment for DC failed ratification.
Sentence 5Dobbs
The 2022 Dobbs ruling overturning Roe v Wade is evidence FOR amendment difficulty because
Hint: After Dobbs — what democratic route is realistically open to restore the federal right?
Sentence 6Court as convention
Defenders argue constitutional change still happens through judicial interpretation, citing
Hint: Reach for landmark Court rulings that reshaped rights without an amendment.
Sentence 7Polarisation
Polarisation makes Article V structurally unreachable because
Hint: Three-quarters threshold meets a partisan state map — what does that mean for any proposal?
Sentence 826th Amendment
The 26th Amendment 1971 was ratified within 100 days, showing
Hint: Speed of ratification when consensus exists — what does that say about the rule itself vs the politics?
Sentence 9UK comparison
The UK has changed more constitutionally in 54 years than the US through Article V because
Hint: UK constitutional changes since 1971 — what mechanism delivered them?
Sentence 10Federalism counter
Defenders argue federalism balances Article V rigidity because
Hint: State-level flexibility as a substitute — but federalism cannot solve all constitutional issues.
Sentence 11No fence-sitting
On this question I commit to the line that the Constitution is too difficult to amend, which means
Hint: Pull together the key cumulative anchors: substantive freeze, ERA, DC, Dobbs remedy gap, UK comparator.
Sentence 12AO3 evaluation
Mark scheme phrase 'fully focused and justified conclusions' means
Hint: Two AO3 habits: interim judgements and synthesis in the conclusion.