The Twenty-First Amendment was the only amendment to be ratified by
Group of answer choices
a. two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate of the U.S. Congress.
b. state legislatures in three-fourths of the states.
c. a Presidential veto, in response to national demonstrations in 1933.
d. special ratifying conventions in three-fourths of the states.
e. a national referendum in 1933.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is d. special ratifying conventions in three-fourths of the states.
The Twenty-First Amendment, ratified in 1933, was the only amendment to be ratified by special ratifying conventions in three-fourths of the states. This was an unusual method of ratification, as most constitutional amendments are ratified by state legislatures. The reason for choosing this process was due to the highly controversial nature of the amendment, which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment that had instituted Prohibition.
Prohibition, which lasted from 1920 to 1933, was a national ban on the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages. The movement to repeal it was driven by the failure to effectively enforce the law and the social and economic problems it caused. There was widespread public support for the end of Prohibition, and the country was in the midst of the Great Depression. The government sought to regulate the alcohol industry to create jobs and generate tax revenue.
In response to this overwhelming demand for change, Congress passed the Twenty-First Amendment to repeal the Eighteenth Amendment. Rather than relying on state legislatures to ratify the amendment, which might have been influenced by political pressures or opposition to the repeal, Congress decided to use special ratifying conventions in each state. This allowed for a more direct and democratic expression of the people’s will.
The Twenty-First Amendment was ratified relatively quickly after its proposal, with conventions in 36 states approving the repeal. This method of ratification highlights the unique political and social circumstances of the time and underscores the importance of public opinion in the amendment process.