Amending the Constitution: What Happens?

BY VALERIE ORLEANS
From Dateline (May 6, 2004)

Gordon Bakken, professor of history and an expert on the U.S. Constitution, poses among the volumes of law books in the Pollak library, including a set of state constitutional law books he recently donated to campus. In addition to teaching, Bakken is a prolific writer and author of more than a dozen books.

President George W. Bush recently announced that he supports a constitutional amendment to outlaw same-sex marriages. But what does amending the Constitution really mean? How does this affect states’ rights? Gordon Bakken, professor of history and an expert on constitutional law, answers some of the most commonly asked questions surrounding this controversy.