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AMENDMENT 27 · RATIFIED 1992 · LATER AMENDMENTS
Delays the effect of a law varying senators’ and representatives’ compensation until an election of representatives has intervened.
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The amendment in plain English The main rule: Delays the effect of a law varying senators’ and representatives’ compensation until an election of representatives has intervened.
A detail worth knowing: It was proposed with the original amendment proposals in 1789 but was not ratified until 1992.
Watch the limit: It does not permanently freeze congressional pay or apply the same compensation rule to every federal employee.
How it connects This is a useful reminder that proposal and ratification can be separated by a very long time.
The Twenty-seventh concerns timing of congressional compensation changes; the Seventeenth concerns selection of U.S. senators.
Compare Amendment 17 →
Check the sources Practice test: Amendment 27 Try the six questions before opening the explanations. The examples are made up for practice. These are our questions, not official exam questions. Blank answers count as not yet correct. Your choices and score stay in this open page and are not sent or saved.
Not checked yet. Choose your answers, then check the reasoning.
1. What is a central rule of Amendment 27? Main rule
A. Bars the United States and states from denying or abridging voting rights of citizens eighteen or older on account of age.B. Addresses presidential succession, filling a vice-presidential vacancy, and procedures for presidential inability.C. Delays the effect of a law varying senators’ and representatives’ compensation until an election of representatives has intervened.D. Bars denial or abridgment of voting in specified federal elections because a person failed to pay a poll tax or other tax.
Check the answer and reasoning C. Delays the effect of a law varying senators’ and representatives’ compensation until an election of representatives has intervened.
Delays the effect of a law varying senators’ and representatives’ compensation until an election of representatives has intervened. Read the actual wording before applying it to a new situation.
2. Which detail belongs with Amendment 27? Text and details
A. Congress has power to enforce the amendment through appropriate legislation.B. A vice-presidential nominee filling a vacancy needs confirmation by a majority of both houses of Congress.C. The text covers presidential and vice-presidential electors, U.S. senators and representatives, and relevant primary elections.D. It was proposed with the original amendment proposals in 1789 but was not ratified until 1992.
Check the answer and reasoning D. It was proposed with the original amendment proposals in 1789 but was not ratified until 1992.
It was proposed with the original amendment proposals in 1789 but was not ratified until 1992.
3. Congress passes a law changing its members’ compensation and wants it to take effect before any intervening House election. Which amendment is directly relevant? Apply it
A. Amendment 27B. Amendment 26C. Amendment 25D. Amendment 24
Check the answer and reasoning A. Amendment 27
Delays the effect of a law varying senators’ and representatives’ compensation until an election of representatives has intervened. Identifying a relevant provision starts the analysis; it does not guarantee an outcome.
4. Which statement should you challenge as an overstatement? Spot the mistake
A. It does not permanently freeze congressional pay or apply the same compensation rule to every federal employee.B. The Twenty-seventh Amendment permanently forbids any change to congressional compensation.C. Delays the effect of a law varying senators’ and representatives’ compensation until an election of representatives has intervened.D. It was proposed with the original amendment proposals in 1789 but was not ratified until 1992.
Check the answer and reasoning B. The Twenty-seventh Amendment permanently forbids any change to congressional compensation.
It does not permanently freeze congressional pay or apply the same compensation rule to every federal employee.
5. How should you compare Amendments 27 and 17? Make a comparison
A. Amendment 27 does exactly the job of Amendment 17; the difference is only the ratification date.B. Amendment 17 automatically repealed every part of Amendment 27.C. The Twenty-seventh concerns timing of congressional compensation changes; the Seventeenth concerns selection of U.S. senators.D. Naming either amendment settles the outcome without examining government action, the text, or the facts.
Check the answer and reasoning C. The Twenty-seventh concerns timing of congressional compensation changes; the Seventeenth concerns selection of U.S. senators.
The Twenty-seventh concerns timing of congressional compensation changes; the Seventeenth concerns selection of U.S. senators.
6. Before reaching a conclusion in a new scenario, which question is most useful here? Explain the reasoning
A. Which political party would prefer the result? That alone identifies the constitutional rule.B. Does a headline describe the action as unfair? That alone proves a constitutional violation.C. Can I skip the amendment’s wording because the rule has a familiar nickname?D. Would the law vary congressional compensation, and has an election of representatives intervened?
Check the answer and reasoning D. Would the law vary congressional compensation, and has an election of representatives intervened?
It does not permanently freeze congressional pay or apply the same compensation rule to every federal employee. The right next question helps you avoid making the rule broader than it is.
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Written practice: explain it your way Try these three parts in your own words. This is a study exercise, not an official AP question or scoring guide.
Explain the amendment’s rule in your own words. Name the part of government, right, or process it addresses. Apply it to the fictional scenario above. Identify one fact that makes the amendment relevant. Compare it with the linked amendment and explain a limit that could change the analysis. Open the three-point self-check Accurately explain: Delays the effect of a law varying senators’ and representatives’ compensation until an election of representatives has intervened. Connect a fact to the rule, rather than just naming the amendment. Ask: Would the law vary congressional compensation, and has an election of representatives intervened? Explain the distinction: The Twenty-seventh concerns timing of congressional compensation changes; the Seventeenth concerns selection of U.S. senators. Include the limit: It does not permanently freeze congressional pay or apply the same compensation rule to every federal employee. One point per explained idea is a revision tool, not an AP score prediction.
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Original, AI-assisted student study material. Sources checked October 30, 2026. Educational information, not legal advice. AP is a trademark of College Board, which does not endorse this project. This library covers all 27 amendments; it is not a claim that each amendment has equal AP exam emphasis.
