What requires a supermajority in the Constitution?
- A supermajority of two-thirds must be reached in both Congress of Deputies and Senate.
- Both chambers must be dissolved.
- The new elected chambers must approve the proposal by a new two-thirds supermajority.
- Finally, the proposal is passed by majority in referendum.
What are censured members of Congress?
The implications of censure. To censure a member of Congress means to register deep disapproval with the member's misconduct. It's a more severe formal rebuke than reprimanding, but doesn't go as far as expelling the lawmaker from the House. " [Censure] is the first level of punishment that carries actual consequences for the members beyond a ...
How might States gain Representatives seats in Congress?
United States congressional apportionment is the process by which seats in the United States House of Representatives are distributed among the 50 states according to the most recent decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution.
When is a supermajority required?
supermajority is often expressed as two-thirds but other percentages or proportions greater than a simple majority may be specified. Such proportions may be required by statutes or the body’s own rules when the body is making decisions that may be budgetary or involve other significant resolutions, ordinances, or contractual commitments.
What does supermajority mean in Congress?
Definition of supermajority : a majority (such as two-thirds or three-fifths) that is greater than a simple majority treaty ratification requires a supermajority Furthermore, it is about even money that soon after Congress convenes in January it will …
What's the difference between majority and supermajority?
A majority would be any percentage above 50%, however, a supermajority stipulates a higher percentage, usually between 67% and 90%. Because of its higher threshold requirement, supermajorities are very difficult to achieve and often delay the decision making process.
What requires a 2/3 majority in Congress?
In a few instances, the Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate, including: expelling a senator; overriding a presidential veto; proposing a constitutional amendment for ratification by the states; convicting an impeached official; and consenting to ratification of a treaty.
When was the last time the Senate had a supermajority?
February 4, 2010: Republican Scott Brown's election to the Senate ended the Democratic super-majority.
What is an example of supermajority?
A supermajority vote is a vote that must exceed the number of votes comprising a simple majority. For example, a simple majority in the 100-member Senate is 51 votes and a 2/3 supermajority vote requires 67 votes.
How many votes does it take to end a filibuster?
A filibuster is a tactic used by a minority group of members of the U.S. Senate who oppose and prevent the passage of a bill, despite the bill's having enough supporters to pass it. The tactic involves taking advantage of the rule that 60 votes are needed to stop debate on a bill, so that it can proceed to a vote.
What is the filibuster in simple terms?
The Senate tradition of unlimited debate has allowed for the use of the filibuster, a loosely defined term for action designed to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill, resolution, amendment, or other debatable question.
How many votes do you need to pass a bill in the Senate?
If the bill passes by simple majority (218 of 435), the bill moves to the Senate. In the Senate, the bill is assigned to another committee and, if released, debated and voted on. Again, a simple majority (51 of 100) passes the bill.
Is a 2/3 majority a vote?
However, both the House and Senate may jointly override this restriction with a two-thirds supermajority vote each. A two-thirds supermajority in the Senate is 67 out of 100 senators, while a two-thirds supermajority in the House is 290 out of 435 representatives.
What is simple majority vote?
Simple majority may refer to: Majority, a voting requirement of more than half of all ballots cast. Plurality (voting), a voting requirement of more ballots cast for a proposition than for any other option. First-past-the-post voting, the single-winner version of an election with plurality voting and one vote per ...
How many votes are needed for a simple majority?
If the bill passes by simple majority (218 of 435), the bill moves to the Senate. In the Senate, the bill is assigned to another committee and, if released, debated and voted on. Again, a simple majority (51 of 100) passes the bill.
What parts of the Constitution require a supermajority?
The United States Constitution requires a supermajority of two-thirds of both houses of United States Congress to propose a Congress-driven constitutional amendment; it also requires a three-quarters supermajority of state legislatures for final adoption of any constitutional amendment, as well as a two-thirds ...
What is supermajority rule?
A supermajority, supra-majority, qualified majority or special majority, is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level of support which is greater than the threshold of more than one-half used for a majority. Supermajority rules in a democracy can help to prevent a majority from eroding fundamental rights of a minority.
Why is supermajority important in a democracy?
Supermajority rules in a democracy can help to prevent a majority from eroding fundamental rights of a minority. Changes to constitutions, especially those with entrenched clauses, commonly require supermajority support in a legislature.
What is the supermajority required to amend the Indian Constitution?
Article 368 of the Indian Constitution requires a supermajority of two-thirds of members present and voting in each house of Indian Parliament, subject to at least by a majority of the total membership of each House of Parliament, to amend the constitution. In addition, in matters affecting the states and judiciary, at least above half of all the states need to ratify the amendment.
What is a two thirds vote?
A two-thirds vote, when unqualified, means two-thirds or more of the votes cast. This voting basis is equivalent to the number of votes in favour being at least twice the number of votes against. Abstentions and absences are excluded in calculating a two-thirds vote.
How many states can a Constitution amendment be ratified?
Once proposed, the amendment must be ratified by three-quarters (currently 38) of the states (either through the state legislatures, or ratification conventions, whichever "mode of ratification" Congress selects).
What is the requirement for a minimum number of members to be present in order to conduct business called?
The requirement for a minimum number of members to be present in order to conduct business, called a quorum, may be used to avoid such a possibility. Similar to the voting basis for the entire membership, a supermajority could be specified for this basis, such as a vote of "two-thirds of the fixed membership".
How much majority is required to pass a constitutional amendment in Colorado?
In 2016, the Constitution of Colorado was amended to require a 55% majority to pass new constitutional amendments by popular vote. It had previously been a simple majority.
What is supermajority in politics?
The supermajority meaning is the requirement for a particular measure or legislation to receive significantly more than half of the votes in order for the measure to pass. For example, a supermajority can refer to a three-fifths or two-thirds vote. What this means is that, if two-thirds or three-fifths of ...
What is Supermajority?
Though, for the purposes certain votes in government, a supermajority, or a number significantly greater than one-half is required. For example, a supermajority, as per the U.S. Senate, requires a supermajority of 60% or higher in order to move forward with the majority vote.
How many votes are needed for a supermajority vote?
In the U.S. Senate, a supermajority vote requires a two-thirds majority, which is 67 votes of a possible 100. The two-thirds majority applies to the House of Representatives as well, which requires 290 of the 435 possible votes. Additional supermajority examples include those required in order to pass major legislative actions, ...
What percentage of the vote is in favor of a measure?
If more than 60% of the votes are in favor of a measure, then the supermajority has ruled that the measure should pass. A supermajority is also a “qualified majority,” and supermajorities commonly include three-fifths (60%), two-thirds (67%) and three-quarters (75%) of the votes. These percentages are set by statute.
What is a two thirds vote?
Two-Thirds. The two-thirds vote is one of the more common types of supermajority. A two-thirds vote means that two-thirds or more of the votes are in favor of a measure. For the purpose of a two-thirds vote, absent members do not count. Only the votes of those who are present count toward the total number of votes.
What are some examples of supermajority?
Additional supermajority examples include those required in order to pass major legislative actions, such as those pertaining to the President. Impeaching a sitting president, declaring a president incapable of continuing to serve as president, and making amendments to the Constitution are all examples of actions that require a supermajority in ...
What is the legislative branch of the United States?
Congress – The legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
What is supermajority in a proposal?
A supermajority or a qualified majority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level or type of support which exceeds a simple majority in order to have effect. In some jurisdictions, for example, parliamentary procedure requires that any action that may alter the rights of the minority has a supermajority requirement ...
How many supermajorities are needed for a constitutional amendment?
The United States Constitution requires a supermajority of two-thirds of both houses of United States Congress to propose a Congress-driven constitutional amendment; it also requires a three-quarters supermajority of state legisla tures for final adoption of any constitutional amendment, as well as a two-thirds supermajority to pass a bill over the president's veto.
What is a majority of the fixed membership?
A majority of the fixed membership is a supermajority that is based on the total number of the established fixed membership of the deliberative assembly. It is used only when a specific number of seats or memberships is established in the rules governing the organization, e.g. a board of seven members.
What is a two thirds majority?
Two-thirds majority. A two-thirds majority is a common supermajoritarian requirement in elections, especially whenever minority rights can be changed (e.g. constitutional amendments). There are two kinds of two-thirds majority: the simple or the absolute.
How many senators are there in the Senate?
There are 100 members, so sixty percent is sixty Senators.
What is an absolute 2/3 majority?
An absolute two-thirds majority means that two-thirds of the entire membership of a body or more must agree to the proposition. It is much stronger than a simple requirement.
Does Robert's Rules of Order require a legislative action?
Most private organizations do use this standard. The popular parliamentary manual, Robert's Rules of Order [2], does not require it for any action. It is sometimes the stardard set to adopt some or all actions in state and local government legislative bodies in the United States.
What does supermajority mean?
Supermajority – Meaning, History, Drawbacks And More. Supermajority, as the word suggests, is the requirement of more than a simple majority (of 51% or more). In the financial world, this word comes into use as an anti-merger or anti- acquisition move. Basically, it is an amendment in the company’s charter, which mandates the requirement ...
When did the supermajority rule start?
The use of supermajority dates back to the classical Rome era, where juries used it to conclude. Later, the concept was adopted by the medieval church for its election. In 1996, Pope John Paul II made efforts to change the requirement, but the rule to elect a pope with supermajority still exists.
How Much Majority Needed?
Usually, supermajority requires the backing of two-third members. But, a company may mandate it to be as much as 90%. A simple majority is over 50%. If any action is decided with a simple majority, it could mean that almost half of the shareholders do not agree with the decision. Thus, to avoid such issues, the companies go for a supermajority.
What are some cases where more than a simple majority is needed?
Following are some of the cases, where more than a simple majority is needed: Executive changes, such as hiring or firing a CFO or CEO. Choosing an investment bank for taking a firm public. The concept is also in use in politics for approving certain laws.
Does Tesla have a supermajority?
Another example: Electric vehicle maker, Tesla also has a provision for supermajorities for certain crucial matters. The company’s charter requires at least two-thirds votes to approve certain proposals. Last year in June, the company voted to cancel the supermajority provision, but the proposal failed to win the approval.
Did Duke Energy win the 80% vote?
A couple of years back, Duke Energy said that its sponsored proposal failed to win the required 80% votes. The proposal that was up for a vote was for the abolition of the supermajority requirements in Duke’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation.
Is supermajority a sustainable decision?
On the other hand, a decision that enjoys the backing of supermajority is acceptable to almost all, and thus, is much more sustainable.
What is a supermajority?
Definition of supermajority. : a majority (such as two-thirds or three-fifths) that is greater than a simple majority treaty ratification requires a supermajority Furthermore, it is about even money that soon after Congress convenes in January it will … approve a constitutional amendment to require supermajorities (three-fifths) ...
What is the 7-2 ruling?
The 7–2 ruling is a strong sign that the court’s conservative supermajority won’t pose an existential threat to the ACA in the future, and perhaps even an indication that years of major legal struggles over the law may finally be winding down.
What is a supermajority?
Supermajority States. A handful of states do require a supermajority for passage of a constitutional amendment or statutory initiative. Those states are listed below. Any constitutional amendment, whether initiated or referred by the Legislature, must be approved by at least 60% of those voting on the measure.
Why do states require a supermajority?
All states except Delaware also require a vote of the people to pass a constitutional amendment. Supermajorities are intended to prevent a "tyranny of the majority," and also encourage deliberation and compromise as proponents attempt to gather enough votes to reach a supermajority. Supermajorities in the legislature often are required for constitutional amendments because of the belief that constitutions should not be amended without careful deliberation. Many states also require a supermajority vote of the legislature to increase taxes.
What is NCSL redistricting?
For redistricting, NCSL provides similar data that covers redistricting laws, commissions and litigation. Additionally, NCSL's Redistricting and Elections Standing Committee works on issues that effect all states, including voting technology and redistricting systems and technology.
What is NCSL election?
NCSL tracks election and campaign issues in four major categories: campaign finance, election laws and procedures, election results and analysis, and initiative and referendum. We provide comprehensive 50-state research and analysis on a wide variety of topics related to these issues.
What is the Mississippi majority vote?
Mississippi. Majority vote, provided that the total number of votes cast on the initiative equals at least 40% of the total votes cast in the election. Constitutional amendments.
What is a majority vote?
Majority vote, provided that the vote cast upon the measure equals at least one-third of the total votes cast at such election. Majority vote, provided that an amount in excess of 50% of those voting in the preceding general election must cast votes on an initiative or the initiative fails.
How many general elections do you need to pass an initiative constitutional amendment?
An initiative constitutional amendment must receive a majority vote in two successive general elections in order to pass
When Is A Supermajority Vote Required?
'On-The-Fly' Supermajority Votes
- The parliamentary rules of both the Senate and House of Representatives provide means by which a supermajority vote can be required for the passage of certain measures. These special rules requiring supermajority votes are most often applied to legislation dealing with the federal budget or taxation.4 The House and Senate draw authority for requiring supermajority votes from Arti…
Supermajority Votes and The Founding Fathers
- In general, the Founding Fathers favored requiring a simple majority vote in legislative decision-making. Most of them, for example, objected to the Articles of Confederation's requirement for a supermajority vote in deciding such questions as coining money, appropriating funds, and determining the size of the army and navy. However, the framers of the Constitution also recogn…
Overview
A supermajority, supra-majority, qualified majority, or special majority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level of support which is greater than the threshold of more than one-half used for a simple majority. Supermajority rules in a democracy can help to prevent a majority from eroding fundamental rights of a minority, but they can also hamper efforts to respond to problems and encourage corrupt compromises in the times action is taken. Changes to constitut…
Use in governments around the world
To pass an amendment to the Australian Constitution, a referendum is required and must ordinarily achieve a double majority: a majority of those voting nationwide, as well as separate majorities in a majority of states (i.e., 4 out of 6 states). Although, a supermajority is required in circumstances where a specific state is affected by a referendum, a majority of voters in that state must also agree to the change. This is often referred to as a "triple majority".
History
The first known use of a supermajority rule was in the 100s BCE in ancient Rome.
Pope Alexander III introduced the use of supermajority rule for papal elections at the Third Lateran Council in 1179.
In the Democratic Party of the United States, a rule requiring the determination of a presidential nominee required the votes of two-thirds of delegates to the Democratic National Convention wa…
Common supermajorities
A majority vote, or more than half the votes cast, is a common voting basis. Instead of the basis of a majority, a supermajority can be specified using any fraction or percentage which is greater than one-half. It can also be called a qualified majority. Common supermajorities include three-fifths (60%), two-thirds (66.66...%), and three-quarters (75%).
A two-thirds vote, when unqualified, means two-thirds or more of the votes cast. This voting basi…
Related concepts
Related concepts regarding alternatives to the majority vote requirement include a "majority of the entire membership" and a "majority of the fixed membership".
A majority of the entire membership is a voting basis that requires that more than half of all the members of a body (including those absent and those present but not voting) vote in favor of a proposition in order for it to be passed. In practical terms, it means an absence or an abstention …
Use in parliamentary procedure
Parliamentary procedure requires that any action that may alter the rights of a minority have a supermajority requirement. Robert's Rules of Order states:
As a compromise between the rights of the individual and the rights of the assembly, the principle has been established that a two-thirds vote is required to adopt any motion that: (a) suspends or modifies a rule of order previously adopted; (b) prevents the introduction of a question for consi…
See also
• Consensus decision-making
• Double majority
• Group decision-making
• Minoritarianism
• Unanimity
Definition of Supermajority
- Noun 1. A requirement that a measure receive more than half of the votes in order to pass. Origin 1915
What Is Supermajority?
- To put it simply, a simple majority is a number of votes above one-half – specifically, a minimum of 51%. Though, for the purposes certain votes in government, a supermajority, or a number significantly greater than one-half is required. For example, a supermajority, as per the U.S. Senate, requires a supermajority of 60% or higher in order to move forward with the majority vot…
Types of Supermajority
- In the United States, there are three common types of supermajority examples: two-thirds, three-fifths, and, less commonly, three-quarters.
Parliamentary Procedure
- Parliamentary procedure refers to the specific set of rules that governs organizational meetings. The idea of parliamentary procedure in U.S. government is that any action that can affect the rights of the minority must have a supermajority vote. The term “parliamentary procedure” hails from Europe’s parliamentary system of government. In fact, the U.S. Congress developed its rule…
U.S. Congress
- The U.S. Congress uses a supermajority to determine the outcome of its votes. In fact, one of the most memorable terms in U.S. Congress history was from January 1977 to January 1979, wherein the U.S. Congress had its first 60% supermajority in both the House and the Senate. Also notable was that all three super majorities were democratic during a time when the Presidents were de…
Examples of Supermajority Procedure
- What follows are some supermajority examples of how the procedure works when it comes to voting in the U.S. government: 1. In the U.S. Senate, a supermajority vote requires a two-thirds majority, which is 67 votes of a possible 100. 2. The two-thirds majority applies to the House of Representatives as well, which requires 290 of the 435 possible votes. Additional supermajority …
Supermajority Example Involving The Nuclear Option
- The nuclear option is an example of supermajority not determining the outcome, despite having the majority vote. The nuclear option allows the Senate to override their own “60% of the votes” rule by allowing a 51% vote to go through. This is a “simple majority,” rather than a supermajority. The motivation for the “nuclear” in the nuclear option’s name is that it is synonymous with nucle…
Related Legal Terms and Issues
- Congress – The legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Two-Thirds Majority
- A two-thirds majorityis a common supermajoritarian requirement in elections, especially whenever minority rights can be changed (e.g. constitutional amendments). There are two kinds of two-thirds majority: the simple or the absolute. A two-thirds majority means that the number of votes for a proposition or candidate must equal or exceed twice the number of votes against it. If unqu…
Majority of The Entire Membership
- In parliamentary procedure, another type of supermajority is a majority of the entire membership that is based on the total number of voting members of the society. It is any number more than one half of the total number of members. To illustrate, if the society has 35 members a majority of the entire membership is more than 17.5 votes (usually 18,...
Majority of The Fixed Membership
- A majority of the fixed membership is a supermajority that is based on the total number of the established fixed membership of the deliberative assembly. It is used only when a specific number of seats or memberships is established in the rules governing the organization, e.g. a board of seven members. This majority of the fixed members is set at any number greater than …
History
Actions Needing Supermajority
How Much Majority needed?
Supermajority Examples
Disadvantages
Supermajority Vote in Us Congress
- In the US Congress, several decisions require approval via a supermajority vote. Following are some of the actions that require such voting: 1. Impeaching the president. 2. Amending the Constitution. 3. Expelling a member of Congress. 4. Overriding a Presidential veto. 5. Ratifying a Treaty 1. What is Supermajority amendment [Source] 2. Timestamped...