Which Amendment banned Congress from increasing its members' salaries until the next election?

• A. Amendment 27
• B. Amendment 22
• C. Amendment 23
• D. Amendment 24

Answer: (A)

The key idea is how Congress’s pay changes are regulated by the Constitution. Any law that changes the compensation of Senators and Representatives cannot take effect until after the election of Representatives that follows. In other words, a pay raise for members can’t apply immediately; voters must have a chance to react at the next election. This protection is provided by the Twenty-seventh Amendment, ratified in 1992 (originally proposed in 1789). Its purpose is to prevent immediate self-interest and tie any pay change to the accountability of re-election. Other amendments cover different topics—presidential term limits, representation for Washington, D.C., and the removal of poll taxes—so they don’t address how Congress sets its own pay.