Twenty Seventh Amendment Research Paper

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Two hundred and two years, seven months, and twelve days is what it took our twenty-seventh amendment to be ratified onto our constitution. Was this a very sensitive and complex amendment that needed meticulous studying and logistics planing? No, the twenty-seventh amendment simply states that no Senators or Representatives can alter their pay during their tenure and only can it be changed when their term is up. In the constitution it states "No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened". While this seems so simple, there seems to be some inherent complexity to it. Maybe one of the reasons why it took so long is the human’s …show more content…

Watson stumbled upon a list of so-called "lost" amendments which included the twenty-seventh amendment. He was so perplexed by it that he launched a national movement in the hopes to getting the amendment approved. In a video interview published by Dallas County Community College District Watson describes how he concocted a letter to members of congress describing the found amendment and asked if they could find someone in state legislature that could help him get the amendment ratified. The appeal got sent through a couple of people in the state then a year later in 1982 it got introduced and ratified in Maine and by 1992 the 38th state, Alabama, ratified it and officially got the amendment onto our constitution. A great victory for citizens of America and a great personal triumph for Mr. Watson. This shows us that we truly do live in a democratic society accepting of citizen input. Gregory Watson’s resilience in government process is a truly honorable feat, even though all he did was simply write a letter and got involved with his nation and its government. His story opens so many doors in the hopes that if things need to be changed things can get changed. Personally it has prompted me and made me more comfortable in becoming a more involved citizen. If a twenty year-old in a university can be the catalyst in ratifying an amendment