Understanding Constitutional Conventions

A constitutional convention allows states to propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution if two-thirds, or 34 states, call for it. This method has never been used since the Constitution's ratification, leaving many uncertainties about how such a convention would be conducted. The founding documents do not provide clear guidelines on the rules or structure that a convention would follow, raising concerns about the potential outcome of a gathering that might exceed its initial agenda. This ambiguity has led to fears of a 'runaway convention' where unexpected topics could emerge, fundamentally altering the Constitution in ways that could conflict with modern values.