Can the US government repeal or remove an article or amendment from the Constitution?

Can the United States Government vote to repeal current articles or amendments from the constitution? Or is the constitution forever?

Sorry, -1. This is basic research. A definitive Wikipedia article is among first 5 Google search results, as are even better written articles from other sources

Question is vague in its use of "US Government." Is it asking whether the Federal Govt can unilaterally change the constitution or whether there is a system in place to change it?

3 Answers 3

That amendments exists shows that yes, you can amend the constitution. It's a living document. You can repeal an amendment by. amending the constitution by voting for a new amendment. Prohibition was enacted when the 18th Amendment was passed. It was later repealed with the 21st amendment.

Articles could also be "repealed" via further amendments.

Living Document has a very specific connotation when discussing the Constitution. It is the philosophy that the words written in the Constitution can be reinterpreted as society changes. Yes, a process exists to amend the Constitution, per Article V, but that is a stark difference from the Living Document concept.

@drunkcynic yes and no. You are correct, but the generic term also applies. It's a living document (as it is updated) and there are proponents of the Living Constituion (aka Living Document) legal philosophy. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_document

The law paragraph of your cited link reflects the very distinction made above. "In United States constitutional law, the Living Constitution, also known as loose constructionism, permits the Constitution as a static document to have an interpretation that shifts over time as the cultural context changes. The opposing view, originalism, holds that the original intent or meaning of the writers of the Constitution should guide its interpretation." The concept of living document is distinct from the included methods for amending the Constitution; you're conflating the two.

@Drunk Cynic hence my comment pointing out the differences between "living document" and "Living Constitution". Both terms apply to the U.S. constitution. I am not conflating anything. I am saying they are not mutually exclusive.