Over the years, various Acts of Congress have altered the number of seats on the Supreme Court, from a low of five to a high of 10. Shortly after the Civil War, the number of seats on the Court was fixed at nine. Today, there is one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices of the United States Supreme Court. Like all federal judges, justices are appointed by the President and are confirmed by the Senate. They, typically, hold office for life. The salaries of the justices cannot be decreased during their term of office.
A: The U.S. Constitution has 27 amendments. The first 10, constituting the Bill of Rights, were written in 1791 as part of the original document. The most recent amendment to the Constitution was the 27th Amendment, added to the Constitution in 1992, which regulated congressional pay rates. Continue Reading
Proposed Amendments. One of the enduring features of our Constitution is its flexibility. At the time of its ratification, the population of the United States was around 4 million and today that population exceeds 309 million. Since its adoption the Constitution has only changed 27 times! Actually, since 1791 (with the inclusion of the Bill of Rights) it has only changed 16 times.