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A More Perfect Constitution

This week we’ll spend a lot of time talking about how we can change the Constitution. Every year dozens of amendments are proposed to the Constitution an in the entire history (230+ years) of the United States, we’ve only approved 27 amendments. Of those 27, the first 10 (the Bill of Rights) were more like an extension to the original Constitution. In fact, several amendments have been passed by congress and not passed by the states. Obviously its pretty difficult to amend it!

However, the Constitution is far from a perfect document. We have an Electoral College that prevents the people from directly electing the President, a Senate that isn’t truly democratic, and a Supreme Court that isn’t democratic at all! Some political scientists even argue that so many Americans are disinterested in the political system because an antiquated Constitution alienates them!

If you WERE actually able to amend the Constitution, what would you change?

I found a list of recently proposed amendments to the Constitution.

Some of the more interesting ones ( along with the Congress that voted them down) are:

109th Congress (2005-2006)

• To ensure reproductive rights of women
• To allow non-natural born citizens to become President if they have been a citizen for 20 years
• The “Every Vote Counts” Amendment – providing for direct election of the President and Vice President, abolishing the Electoral College

108th Congress (2003-2004)

• To lower the age restriction on Representatives and Senators from 30 and 25 respectively to 21
• To restrict marriage in all states to be between a man and a woman
• To allow Congress to pass laws for emergency replenishment of its membership should more than a quarter of either house be killed

107th Congress (2001-2002)

• To specify a right to “equal high quality” health care
• To allow for any person who has been a citizen of the United States for twenty years or more to be eligible for the Presidency

106th Congress (1999-2000)

• To provide a new method for proposing amendments to the Constitution, where two-thirds of all state legislatures could start the process
• To declare that life begins at conception and that the 5th and 14th amendments apply to unborn children

105th Congress (1997-1998)

• To provide for the reconfirmation of federal judges every 12 years
• To prohibit the early release of convicted criminals

Sanford Levinson, professor at the University of Texas, says we need to make some significant changes to the Constitution!

Larry J. Sabato, professor at the University of Virginia, makes of list of 23 amendments that should be made to the Constitution!

Some other interesting ideas:

• War Making Limitations
• Non-Natural Born Presidents
• Proportional Representation in the Senate
• Extending the length of House Terms
• Term limits for members of Congress
• End Lifetime tenure for Supreme Court Judges
• Mandatory retirement for Federal Judges
• Improving/Removing the Electoral College
• Automatic Voter Registration
• Mandatory National Service in the Military

What do you think? Should we add something new to the Constitution? What should we amend? Or should we simply have another Constitutional Convention and start all over?

And remember Thomas Jefferson’s ideas on the Constitution:

Every constitution, then, and every law, naturally expires at the end of nineteen years. If it be
enforced longer, it is an act of force, and not of right. – 1789

Download the assignment (.doc) here:

Amending the Constitution activity

You will use Microsoft Word, the textbook, and the internet to complete the assignment. I will let you know how to turn the assignment in at the end of class. Do not print it!

Take some time, when you’re completed with the assignment, to post some comments on MrOsman.com!

(Don’t forget your next test is on Wednesday the 24th)