Posted by: purpleslog | June 20, 2006

Suggested 26 US Constitution Amendments (Part 0 of 8): Introduction

The US Constitution is an excellent document that is part of the core US domestic rule set. It provides a scheme of check and balances that lead to a complex system behavior.

The system needs some tweaking in response to the findings of public choice theory, to fix small inherent flaws or contradictions, and to make other changes for the 21st century.

This PurpleSlog series will suggest 26 amendments, (plus 2 “stretch” amendments). Additionally I will note 9 common amendment ideas that I think should be passed on.

My Concern/Caveat: The list of amendments comes from years of thinking and note taking. I have documented the source/inspiration of the idea when remember it or have it noted. Some of the ideas where mine and then combined with like proposals. I will add further documentation as I find or as it is brought to my attention.

List of Suggested Amendments:

Part One – Legislative

- Legislative Apportionment by Citizen Population Amendment
- Term Limits for the House of Representatives Amendment
- Term Limits for the Senate Amendment
- States Optional Power for Congressional Recall Amendment
- Filling Vacancies in the House of Representatives Amendment

Part Two- Legislative (cont’d)

- Confirmation Process Time Constraint Amendment
- Basic Rules for the Operation of Congress Amendment
- Spending Control Amendment
- Spending and Taxing Consideration Amendment
- Modern Warfighting Power Amendment

Part Three – Executive

- Presidential Election Adjustment Amendment
- Presidential Pardon Power Restriction Amendment
- Spending Separation and Reduction Veto Amendment

Part Four- Supreme Court

- Judiciary Removal Amendment
- Supreme Court Term Limits Amendment

Part Five – General

- Constitutional Amending Process Amendment
- Banning Foreign Involvement in the U.S. Political Process Amendment
- Real Campaign Finance Reform Amendment
- Citizenship Legacy Rights Amendment
- Not Above the Law Amendment
- Voter Consent NOTA Amendment

Part Six – General (cont’d)

- Rights and States Clarification Amendment
- United States Law Supremacy Amendment
- Eminent Domain Powers Clarification Amendment
- Crime Victims Bill of Rights Amendment
- Extraordinary Crime Category Recognition Amendment

Part Seven – Stretch

- Freedom of Choice Constitutional Amendment
- Plain English Constitutional Amendment

Part Eight – The Bad Ideas

- Direct election of president
- Lengthening of congressional terms
- anti-flag burning
- Allow non-native president
- Strict Marriage Amendment
- So-call Equality Amendment
- DC Statehood or Equal Representation Amendment
- Direct election of judges
- Anti-abortion amendment

Part Nine – Bonus/Additional Amendments and Odds and Ends

- Vice-Presidential Electoral Vote Process Amendment
- Presidential Electoral Vote Process Amendment
- Commerce Clause Clarification Amendment
- Flag Desecration Federalism Control Amendment

Update: Yikes! Corrected to 8 parts, plus this intro.

Update: I crossed out the anti-flag burning amendment to reflect my changed belief and have added a 9th part which will included things I have learned from this series.

Update: Require the Speaker of the House to Be a Full Member of the House

Update: Constitutional Amendment Needed To Close Loophole On Presidential and Vice-Presidential Eligibility

Update: The Supreme Court Chief Justice should preside over senate impeachment trials of the Vice-President and other members of the Executive Branch

Update: Barring Courts From Relying On Foreign Law (#36?)

Update: Allow states to choose to enact laws for the execution of Child Rapist (#37)


Responses

  1. What about a “Right to Privacy” amendment?

    This looks like an interesting series of posts. I’ve been thinking that we need a new Constitutional Convention. I also think we need to address the body of laws already past, which are really a mish-mash of laws, so a Legislative Convention would be good to streamline things, get rid of the bad, consolidate, etc.

  2. I thought a bunch about a Right to Privacy (one is not implicit) in the constitution. I think to much lawfare would take place as a result. In the second to last post I will present a Freedom of Choice Constitutional Amendment that gets much of the same results, with hopefully less lawfare.

  3. There is one problem with a consitutional convention as currently defined: when it is called, there is no restricting the topics that can cover. I do propose in a future post restricted conventions called for a set scope of topics.

  4. I do not think a spouse should be allowed to run for the office of President especially when one has already served two terms. Give others a chance.

  5. Dem…I am not sure that rises to the need of a major problem that requires an amendment. The voters can sort that out.

  6. [...] 26 US Constitution Amendments (Part 1 of 8): Legislative Branch This PurpleSlog series will suggest 26 amendments, (plus 2 “stretch” amendments). Additionally I will note 9 common amendment ideas that [...]


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