Who is authorized to propose an amendment to the Constitution?

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution is specifically outlined in Article V of the U.S. Constitution. This article stipulates two distinct methods for proposing amendments: one method is by a two-thirds majority vote in both houses of Congress, and the other is by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the state legislatures. This dual approach underscores the federal balance of power, allowing both the national legislative body and the states to play a crucial role in the amendment process.

Options like the President, the Supreme Court, and local state legislatures do not have the authority to propose amendments on their own. The President can influence the process through advocacy or urging Congress to consider amendments, but does not have formal power to propose them. The Supreme Court interprets the Constitution and can rule on constitutional issues, but it does not propose amendments. Local state legislatures can call for a constitutional convention, but they cannot individually propose amendments without the aggregate action of two-thirds of all state legislatures. Thus, the only correct and authorized means of proposing an amendment comes from Congress or via a constitutional convention.