There are two ways to change the Constitution. Most Americans do not fully understand either one.

This is a problem: Common citizens want change - desperately want things to improve - but do not know how to create it.

In contrast, there are a growing number of well-funded, organized professionals who know the law, the loopholes, and how to get what they want.

They are better prepared to win Constitutional change.

Too many American citizens are not.

• Consider the best athletes - superstars and the crucial role players - who enable teams to win championships. They enjoy the greatest freedoms and success because first, they play smart; and second, they work hard.

• They know the game, the opposition, their responsibilities. They study, train, get mentored, and constantly seek to be their best based on the facts - not emotion.

• American citizens who want to protect their rights must follow this example. Not to be a superstar, but to be a solid role player - a good steward responsible for maintaining our rights.

A free people who do not understand the process of maintaining their republic and guiding any changes cannot protect themselves from tyranny.

Here is how our Constitution can change - a quick summary. It takes four minutes to learn and it will serve you for the rest of your life.

Step one: Propose

An amendment has to be proposed before it can be anything at all. There are only two paths:

#1 - Congress

Two-thirds of the House and two-thirds of the Senate vote to propose an amendment.

This is the route every one of our 27 amendments has taken. All of them. Without exception.

#2 - Our States

Two-thirds of the state legislatures - 34 of 50 - apply for a convention to propose amendments.

If 34 apply, Article V says Congress shall call one. The approval of Congress is not required. This path has never been used in our nation’s history.

Step two: Ratify

This is the step almost everyone misses, and it is the one that decides everything.

Nothing changes until three-fourths of the states - 38 of 50 - ratify the proposed amendment. That is true no matter which path proposed it. A convention does not change the Constitution. Congress does not change the Constitution. Only 38 states do.

Congress decides how the states ratify: Through their legislatures, or through special ratifying conventions called for that purpose. Only one amendment has ever been ratified by state conventions - the 21st, which repealed Prohibition.

Why 34 is not the number that matters

You will hear that some movement is “20 of 34” or “28 of 34” or some other fraction of the way there. Understand exactly what that means, because it is easy to misread in both directions.

34 states applying triggers a convention. It amends nothing. A convention proposes; it does not ratify.

38 states ratifying is what changes the Constitution.

Anyone who tells you 34 states will rewrite the Constitution is mistaken. And anyone who tells you a convention is harmless because ratification still needs 38 is missing the point - because a convention changes what is on the table, and a people unprepared for that debate is a people at risk of losing their rights.

One more thing: Nobody agrees on the count

Counting applications is not arithmetic. It is interpretation.

States have filed Article V applications for many different purposes across many decades - a balanced budget, term limits, and others. Congress has never established a binding method for tabulating them.

Whether applications on different subjects, filed in different eras, can be added together toward the same 34 is legally unsettled.

That is why you will see different tallies from sincere people. The Convention of States effort - which would limit its convention to fiscal restraints, limits on federal power and jurisdiction, and term limits for federal officials - stands at 20 of the 34 required (as of July 2026). Other counts, aggregating differently, run higher.

We are not telling you which count is right. We are explaining the number of states said to have applied is contested - and that anyone who gives you a number without that caveat has not done the work.

Why this matters now

Constitutional moments are won long before the debate formally begins.

By the time an amendment is on the floor:

• The arguments have already been made;

• The coalitions already built; and

• The public has already decided what it thinks.

The people who prepared are the people who win.

Therefore, if common citizens - those most impacted by Constitutional change - show up at the last minute with strong feelings and no facts, or irresponsibly don’t pay attention to the process, then the common good loses.

Rather than give up your freedom, wouldn’t you rather be ready and civilly participate in the debate and contribute to the results?

If so, join us. We can do this.

Go deeper

The wisdom of our Constitution is powerful - arguably the most humane, balanced, and citizen-first structure of government ever devised. It has endured for more than two centuries. But our freedoms only survive when our Constitution is enforced.

We encourage you to better understand the Constitution - what it says, why it says it, and how it has been read and re-read over two centuries.

Here is an easy path: Listen to these free courses while at the gym, walking, driving - time you do have available no matter how busy you are. And complete the quizzes for each lesson when you’re not driving - when it’s safe to do so.

Even better - watch the courses with family and friends. Discuss what you learn.

• Constitution 101: The Meaning and History of the Constitution - https://online.hillsdale.edu/courses/constitution-101

• Constitution 201 - https://online.hillsdale.edu/courses/promo/constitution-201

• The Presidency and the Constitution - https://online.hillsdale.edu/courses/promo/the-presidency-and-the-constitution

• Public Policy from a Constitutional Viewpoint - https://online.hillsdale.edu/courses/promo/public-policy

NOTE: These free courses come from Hillsdale College, which is conservative. We recommend them for one reason: We have taken them, and they are overflowing with facts. If you know a course that offers similar value, please email us. We will consider it.

_{SOURCE: U.S. Constitution, Article V. Amendment counts and ratification history from the National Archives. Convention of States application count as of July 2026.}

Let’s start with the good news, because it is real.

This year, 70% of American adults can name all three branches of government - executive, legislative, and judicial. That is up from 65% a year ago, and it is the highest figure the Annenberg Public Policy Center has recorded.

Ask which rights the First Amendment guarantees, and 79% name freedom of speech - also the highest in the survey’s history.

Civic knowledge is climbing.

Now ask what those branches are for.

What we know, and what we do not

Freedom of speech is named by 79% of Americans. Each of the other four First Amendment rights is named by fewer than half. Freedom of religion, the next most often cited, is named by 48%.

Freedom of the press, the right to assemble, and the right to petition the government fall below that.

So nearly four in five of us can name one right we exercise every day. Fewer than half can name the right to worship as we choose. Fewer still can name the right to state our thoughts publicly, to assemble peacefully, or to demand that our government answer us.

This is just one example. If we go deeper, it is scary to consider how little most of us know about our rights and how our government is uniquely structured. But we all have opinions that lack a full factual foundation.

The result: Americans are rapidly abandoning our covenant with freedom - without realizing it, nor comprehending the risk.

Then there is the Court

Ask Americans whether they trust the Supreme Court to operate in their best interests. 41% say they have at least a moderate amount of trust. Ten months earlier it was 44%.

But the average is not the number that should stop you. The split is.

Among Republicans, 75% have at least moderate trust in the Court. Among independents, 38%. Among Democrats, 18%.

That is a 57-point gap between the two major parties, on a single institution - the one branch designed to stand furthest from politics.

Read that again.

The answer to “is the Supreme Court working in your interest?” no longer depends much on the Court. It depends on your party.

Comprehending Structure Protects your Rights

Knowing the three branches of American government is a start. It is not the same as understanding how carefully and wisely our republic was designed to protect common citizens - and put us all on equal ground.

Citizens who can name the branches - but cannot say what they are for - have seen the roof of a house and assumed the whole structure is sound. They know nothing about the stability of the foundation, the framing, the wiring, the plumbing, or anything else that affects their ability to reside there long-term.

They may be able to provide a minimum outline of how a bill becomes law and have an opinion on whether the law is just - or not. But they do not read the law or study credible commentaries on the law.

That is the gap. Not knowledge of basic structure. The gap is comprehending the purpose of our government, how it operates, and whether the actions of our politicians and bureaucrats are consistent with our covenant to maintain what’s best for the common good.

If you do not know what the covenant is, you cannot tell when it has been broken. So, you take the easy route. Without question - or much thought - you accept the soundbites of your political party, a misguided zealot in the media, or a charismatic friend - which is precisely what the Supreme Court numbers show us doing.

Simple Liberty exists to teach you how to protect yourself, your loved ones, your assets, and your freedom. We can do this.

Go deeper

The thought, effort, and integrity of our Founders’ design of the United States of America is unique in all the world’s history.

We are not the only place to learn how our American republic works, and we would not want to be. It’s in your best interest - especially during these turbulent times - to better comprehend how our government was built and what it was designed to protect.

Here is an easy path:

Listen to these free courses while at the gym, walking, driving - time you do have available no matter how busy you are. And complete the quizzes for each lesson when you’re not driving - when it’s safe to do so.

Even better - watch the courses with family and friends. Discuss what you learn.

• Introduction to the Constitution - https://online.hillsdale.edu/courses/promo/intro-to-the-constitution

• The Real American Founding: A Conversation - https://online.hillsdale.edu/courses/promo/real-american-founding

• Congress: How It Worked and Why It Doesn’t - https://online.hillsdale.edu/landing/congress

• American Citizenship and Its Decline - https://online.hillsdale.edu/courses/promo/american-citizenship-and-its-decline

NOTE: These free courses come from Hillsdale College, which is conservative. We recommend them for one reason: We have taken them, and they are overflowing with facts. If you know a course that offers similar value, please email us. We will consider it.

_{SOURCES:2025 Annenberg Constitution Day Civics Survey, Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, released September 11, 2025.Conducted for APPC by SSRS.Civics knowledge questions were asked in August 2025 (n=1,684).Supreme Court trust questions were asked in March 2025 (n=1,363).Margin of sampling error ±3.5 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.}

What We All Want

Before we argue about anything, notice what we all want.

1. A safe place to live. A neighborhood where our kids can be outside.

2. Meaningful work with opportunity. We enjoy what we do, are paid a good wage, and have options for growth.

3. Healthy environment, healthy food, and quality care. Clean air and water, food we can trust, and health care we can afford.

4. True equal rights for all. The law applies the same to everyone - no matter who you know or what you’re worth.

5. Religious freedom. Worship as you believe, or not at all. No faith gets to plan violence or override our Constitution.

6. The freedom to live as you choose. As long as you’re not taking that freedom from someone else.

7. A country worth handing to our kids. Better than we found it.

Seven things. Not one of them owned by a political party.

These are American ideals that unite us for the common good. And the majority of us agree on them.

So why don’t we have them?

Not one of these is controversial. Not one is new. We have sent people to Washington for decades to deliver exactly this.

Look at your own life. How many of these could be better?

We Are Not as Divided as We Have Been Told

It feels like “everyone else” is extreme. The facts say otherwise.

Americans guess that 55% of the other side holds extreme views. The real number is closer to 30%. (More in Common, Perception Gap study, 2019)

The zealots are not the majority - they are just the loudest and most extreme.

Just 9% of social media users often post about politics, and the most active political posters are twice as likely to call themselves very liberal or very conservative. (Pew Research Center 2021-2022) Do not mistake the loudest or most outlandish for the majority.

When researchers brief people on real proposals and let them weigh both sides, agreement shows up fast. A June 2026 University of Maryland study found 112 policies with majority support from both parties. On 88 of them, more than two-thirds of Republicans and Democrats agreed.

We are more united than divided. Someone benefits from us believing otherwise.

Three Things We Already Agree On

#1 - Government should serve us.

The people. Not the politicians, bureaucrats, and the wealthy - our ruling class.

65% of Americans say most people who seek office do so to serve their own personal interests, with nearly identical shares in both parties. (Pew Research Center, 2022)

86% want members of Congress banned from trading individual stocks - 87% of Republicans, 88% of Democrats, 81% of independents. (University of Maryland Program for Public Consultation)

We can change this.

#2 - The same rules should apply to everyone.

No one should be able to buy better treatment, lower taxes, or access the rest of us cannot get.

85% of Americans say the cost of political campaigns makes it hard for good people to run for office. (Pew Research Center, 2023)

Majorities in both parties say the government is run by a few big interests looking out for themselves.

We can change this.

#3 - The ruling class will not solve our problems.

They have had decades. Things just get worse.

77% of Americans say the political system needs major changes or complete reform. Only 27% believe such changes can actually happen. (Pew Research Center, 2025)

Half of us want change and expect none. That is the real division in America - not left against right, but hope against giving up.

We can change this.

Who Is in the Way

Most politicians are more committed to self-interest than public service. Most billionaires care more about profit than the common good. And the loudest zealots manipulate people, the media, and truth to gain more power.

They do not want commoners coming up with solutions that get in the way of their agendas.A divided country offers them more profits and power than a united one.

What Can We Do About It?

The Constitution gave common citizens ultimate power - and it still does.

Study history and the pattern is the same everywhere. Every nation that surrenders power to a ruling class watches that class take more power and more assets from the people. Then the nation fails.

This is not bad news. It is the whole point. We can take back our power. But not from the sidelines.

Simple Liberty identifies the key issues facing America and develops solutions based on facts and one standard: What’s best for the common good?

This gives you tools to serve the common good:

1. Talk with people who disagree with you. Knowledge from Simple Liberty research enables you to stay calm even when others get emotional. You know the facts - both sides of their claim - and can use our four questions to kindly walk through it with them.

2. Tell your representatives exactly what you want. Not a complaint. Solutions - specific changes, backed by evidence, that they can act on.

3. Give ethical candidates something to run on.Our growing database of researched solutions gives good people a platform of specifics instead of slogans - and a way to earn voter trust through transparency.

What Simple Liberty Is

Simple Liberty is a nonpartisan movement of ordinary Americans - commoners - who research the facts, weigh both sides, and build real solutions. Issue by issue. In the open.

We give you the 4Q Scrolls process: What does it mean? What is the evidence? What is the impact? What is the solution?

When we miss something or make a mistake, we welcome your kind feedback and update our data.

Not a revolution. A restoration.

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