[bluGill]

There is also a convention of the states that can change the constitution. It has been talked about by various groups from time to time, but has never happened.

[etothepii]

Are you sure? Isn't that how the ban on alcohol was lifted?

[matthewowen]

There are two types of constitutional convention.

State ratifying conventions, which you are correct is the way that the 21st amendment was ratified by the states after having received a two thirds majority in congress: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_ratifying_conventions

Article V conventions, which replace the legislature stage but then need to be ratified by the states either by the legislatures or by a state ratifying convention: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_to_propose_amendmen...

the latter has never happened and the constitution is very vague about what they would entail, and I think is what the earlier poster was referencing (there has been some recent noise around them)

this graphic is quite helpful: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_ratifying_conventions#/m...

[pyuser583]

Ban on alcohol was lifted by 2/3 of each house approving. Instead of going to the state legislators, it went to state conventions convened specifically for that purpose.

[bluGill]

good question. I'm not clear after reading Wikipedia how that happened. US congress called for this which is how amendments are normally handled, but then it seems to have done something weird.

I'm not interested enough in the question to dig deeper to figure out what is what. I'll leave this as a "I stand corrected" but if you care do dig deeper.