# How the US Constitution gets amended

> A process map exported from forks.world (https://forks.world). Author: Brian. Source: https://forks.world/p/cmv0kpmig002pjn067ky4073o
> It describes who does what, in what order, and with which technology. Read the plain-language sections first; the JSON at the end is the exact, complete data.

## Summary

- 12 steps across 2 layers
- Persona: The public, Congress, A constitutional convention, State legislatures

## How to read this file

- A process is made of **layers**. The main layer is the top level; any step of kind `subprocess` opens a detail layer with its own lanes and steps.
- **Lanes** are either persona (people/roles) or technology (systems). Each step belongs to one lane; `using` lists tools a person uses for that step.
- Step kinds: `start`, `task`, `decision` (its arrows carry the answer as a label), `subprocess`, `end`.

## How the US Constitution gets amended

Lanes:
- The public: person / role (id `public`)
- Congress: person / role (id `congress`)
- A constitutional convention: person / role (id `conv`)
- State legislatures: person / role (id `states`)

Steps, in the order they run:

1. **Support builds for a change to the Constitution** [start; The public; id `a1`]
   - then Which route?
2. **Which route?** [decision; The public; id `a2`]
   - if "Congress proposes it" go to Two-thirds of the House and of the Senate vote to propose it; if "States call a convention" go to Two-thirds of state legislatures call a convention (never used so far)
3. **Two-thirds of the House and of the Senate vote to propose it** [task; Congress; id `a3`]
   - then Ratification: three-fourths of the states must approve
4. **Ratification: three-fourths of the states must approve** [subprocess; State legislatures; id `a5`], opens the detail layer "Ratification"
   - then Do three-fourths approve?
5. **Do three-fourths approve?** [decision; State legislatures; id `a6`]
   - if "Yes" go to It becomes part of the Constitution; if "No" go to It fails or expires
6. **It becomes part of the Constitution** [end; The public; id `a7`]
7. **It fails or expires** [end; State legislatures; id `a6a`]
8. **Two-thirds of state legislatures call a convention (never used so far)** [task; A constitutional convention; id `a4`]
   - then Ratification: three-fourths of the states must approve

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  subgraph l_public["The public"]
    n_a1(["Support builds for a change to the Constitution"])
    n_a2{"Which route?"}
    n_a7(["It becomes part of the Constitution"])
  end
  subgraph l_congress["Congress"]
    n_a3["Two-thirds of the House and of the Senate vote to propose it"]
  end
  subgraph l_conv["A constitutional convention"]
    n_a4["Two-thirds of state legislatures call a convention (never used so far)"]
  end
  subgraph l_states["State legislatures"]
    n_a5[["Ratification: three-fourths of the states must approve"]]
    n_a6{"Do three-fourths approve?"}
    n_a6a(["It fails or expires"])
  end
  n_a1 --> n_a2
  n_a2 -->|"Congress proposes it"| n_a3
  n_a2 -->|"States call a convention"| n_a4
  n_a3 --> n_a5
  n_a4 --> n_a5
  n_a5 --> n_a6
  n_a6 -->|"Yes"| n_a7
  n_a6 -->|"No"| n_a6a
```

### Ratification (detail of step "Ratification: three-fourths of the states must approve")

Lanes:
- State legislatures: person / role (id `states`)
- Congress: person / role (id `congress`)

Steps, in the order they run:

1. **Congress picks legislatures or state conventions** [start; Congress; id `r1`]
   - then Each state votes
2. **Each state votes** [task; State legislatures; id `r2`]
   - then Count: 38 of 50 states are needed
3. **Count: 38 of 50 states are needed** [task; State legislatures; id `r3`]
   - then Some amendments carry a deadline
4. **Some amendments carry a deadline** [end; Congress; id `r4`]

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  subgraph l_states["State legislatures"]
    n_r2["Each state votes"]
    n_r3["Count: 38 of 50 states are needed"]
  end
  subgraph l_congress["Congress"]
    n_r1(["Congress picks legislatures or state conventions"])
    n_r4(["Some amendments carry a deadline"])
  end
  n_r1 --> n_r2
  n_r2 --> n_r3
  n_r3 --> n_r4
```

## Full data (JSON)

```json
{
  "title": "How the US Constitution gets amended",
  "maps": {
    "m_root": {
      "id": "m_root",
      "lanes": [
        {
          "id": "public",
          "name": "The public",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "congress",
          "name": "Congress",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "conv",
          "name": "A constitutional convention",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "states",
          "name": "State legislatures",
          "type": "person"
        }
      ],
      "steps": [
        {
          "id": "a1",
          "kind": "start",
          "lane": "public",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "a2"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Support builds for a change to the Constitution"
        },
        {
          "id": "a2",
          "kind": "decision",
          "lane": "public",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "a3",
              "label": "Congress proposes it"
            },
            {
              "to": "a4",
              "label": "States call a convention"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Which route?"
        },
        {
          "id": "a3",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "congress",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "a5"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Two-thirds of the House and of the Senate vote to propose it"
        },
        {
          "id": "a4",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "conv",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "a5"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Two-thirds of state legislatures call a convention (never used so far)"
        },
        {
          "id": "a5",
          "kind": "subprocess",
          "lane": "states",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "a6"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "child": "m_ratify",
          "label": "Ratification: three-fourths of the states must approve"
        },
        {
          "id": "a6",
          "kind": "decision",
          "lane": "states",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "a7",
              "label": "Yes"
            },
            {
              "to": "a6a",
              "label": "No"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Do three-fourths approve?"
        },
        {
          "id": "a6a",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "states",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "It fails or expires"
        },
        {
          "id": "a7",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "public",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "It becomes part of the Constitution"
        }
      ],
      "title": "How the US Constitution gets amended",
      "parent": null
    },
    "m_ratify": {
      "id": "m_ratify",
      "lanes": [
        {
          "id": "states",
          "name": "State legislatures",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "congress",
          "name": "Congress",
          "type": "person"
        }
      ],
      "steps": [
        {
          "id": "r1",
          "kind": "start",
          "lane": "congress",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "r2"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Congress picks legislatures or state conventions"
        },
        {
          "id": "r2",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "states",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "r3"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Each state votes"
        },
        {
          "id": "r3",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "states",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "r4"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Count: 38 of 50 states are needed"
        },
        {
          "id": "r4",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "congress",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Some amendments carry a deadline"
        }
      ],
      "title": "Ratification",
      "parent": {
        "map": "m_root",
        "step": "a5"
      }
    }
  }
}
```