The US Constitution is rigid and too difficult to change whereas
the British constitution is flexible and too easy to change.
Analyse and Evaluate this statement. (25)
A constitution is a set of rules and principles specifying how a
country should be governed, how power is distributed and
controlled, and what rights citizens possess. When comparing
the flexibility to change between both the US constitution and
the UK constitution, it is initially ambivalent as to whether
which constitution is easiest to amend, however, the US
constitution has the tendency of being inflexible which fails to
change as society changes because the constitution is codified
unlike the UK constitution which is uncodified as well as
unentrenched so it is easily changed through an Act of
Parliament which is passed by a majority vote in both houses of
Parliament. Furthermore, it can be argued that the American
Constitution is less evolutionary and fails to meet the needs of
the people, however, both the UK and US are deemed to have
‘flaws’ within both of the constitutions so it is still disputable as
to whether one constitution is easier to change than the other.
By arguing that the US constitution is rigid and too difficult to
change, it can be highlighted that the US constitution is
entrenched which ultimately means it is difficult to change. In
order for the constitution to change, it requires a supermajority
which is over two thirds of members in both houses of congress
in support of the amendment. This causes difficulty because a
supermajority is hard to gain so the US is still very much
entrenched which prevents amendments from passing whereas
in the UK constitution, if an amendment wants to be passed, an
Act of Parliament will be enforced and will change the
constitution. One could argue that the UK pass amendments
too easily, however it can be seen as a benefit to the country as
the UK was able to ban high calibre hand guns after the
Dunblane Massacre in 96 when a group of children and a
teacher were killed; this may have been more difficult to pass
in the US as the constitution entrenches rights which are
difficult to amend such as the right to ‘bear arms’ which was
originally created to give citizens opportunity to use guns and
other arms to ward off the English. Maintaining this amendment
the British constitution is flexible and too easy to change.
Analyse and Evaluate this statement. (25)
A constitution is a set of rules and principles specifying how a
country should be governed, how power is distributed and
controlled, and what rights citizens possess. When comparing
the flexibility to change between both the US constitution and
the UK constitution, it is initially ambivalent as to whether
which constitution is easiest to amend, however, the US
constitution has the tendency of being inflexible which fails to
change as society changes because the constitution is codified
unlike the UK constitution which is uncodified as well as
unentrenched so it is easily changed through an Act of
Parliament which is passed by a majority vote in both houses of
Parliament. Furthermore, it can be argued that the American
Constitution is less evolutionary and fails to meet the needs of
the people, however, both the UK and US are deemed to have
‘flaws’ within both of the constitutions so it is still disputable as
to whether one constitution is easier to change than the other.
By arguing that the US constitution is rigid and too difficult to
change, it can be highlighted that the US constitution is
entrenched which ultimately means it is difficult to change. In
order for the constitution to change, it requires a supermajority
which is over two thirds of members in both houses of congress
in support of the amendment. This causes difficulty because a
supermajority is hard to gain so the US is still very much
entrenched which prevents amendments from passing whereas
in the UK constitution, if an amendment wants to be passed, an
Act of Parliament will be enforced and will change the
constitution. One could argue that the UK pass amendments
too easily, however it can be seen as a benefit to the country as
the UK was able to ban high calibre hand guns after the
Dunblane Massacre in 96 when a group of children and a
teacher were killed; this may have been more difficult to pass
in the US as the constitution entrenches rights which are
difficult to amend such as the right to ‘bear arms’ which was
originally created to give citizens opportunity to use guns and
other arms to ward off the English. Maintaining this amendment
