With republicans in charge at the federal level, and controlling a record number of state houses, what is the possibility of a Constitutional convention in the next 4 years?
Question of the Day, Dec 6
With republicans in charge at the federal level, and controlling a record number of state houses, what is the possibility of a Constitutional convention in the next 4 years?
I am assuming that any Constitutional convention would be for the purpose of restricting current Federal powers.
A Constitutional convention is a direct challenge to the power of the Federal government. Unless something happens that drastically decreases the present power of the Feds, they will not allow a convention to take place, not even if it requires arresting the people who attempt it. Whether the state governments are Dems or Repubs has little to do with it. The Dems don’t want a convention, and while some of the Repubs may claim to want it, history has shown that when given the opportunity (2001-2005) to make a smaller, weaker Federal government, they do just the opposite.
Most heroin addicts, when given a choice between free heroin or drug rehab, will choose heroin. Most Americans, (corporate employees, farmers, welfare recipients, Medicare and Medicaid recipients, Social Security recipients or retired military, active or retired governmental employees, etc.) are hooked on Uncle Sugar’s money, and even though they may say that they want to restructure the Federal government, they really, REALLY like getting that check. It would take a major crisis, some problem so severe that by itself it stops all the checks and drastically limits existing Federal power, before enough Americans will support any sort of overhaul of the Constitution. (Not that most Americans know what is in the Constitution anyway…)
I hope there will NOT be any such constitutional convention.
Rather, we would want the the present constitution defended.
There are unseen forces that would/could alter the constitution,
and for the worse. What we have seen are “agencies” increasingly
create regulations that subvert our constitution by layering gov.
into a snarl. The end of the agencies (departments of) is what we
seek.
Amen Suzanna.
Agencies at all levels of govt increasingly “make” law by interpreting the law to favor what the agency chooses.
How many times over the years have you heard a politician decry a rule or interpretation of law that a regulatory agency makes.”That’s not what we meant when we passed that law but we don’t have the votes to change it”,or some variation on that.
To solve that,Congress should pass a law that requires agencies to bring their proposed rules back to Congress for a recorded vote.Those not present will be deemed to have voted yes.
If Congress had to vote on these rules such as EPA gas mileage regulations after being presented with evidence as to how many extra citizens would be harmed because vehicles would have to be lighter,etc.,how many of these regulations would be passed.
I hope you are wrong, but fear you are correct.
A Constitutional convention will have the same result of the last one (the Confederation of States one in 1787).
An entirely new government will replace the current one.
Most likely one that establishes a ruling Aristocracy with unlimited power and rights and a populace of subjects that are granted only the permissions they choose to allow us to have to live the way they want us to live.
IMO a rather poor choice, so I expect the Republican Establishment to support it with the enthusiastic support of the Democrats.
Because that’s what both of them actually want, and what they will probably get.
A convention to amend the Constitution sounds like a good idea, but… probably is not. Our Constitution is only as good as the People, and it is not clear to me that the people at that convention would propose elements that would be net plus for Liberty, Freedom, and opportunity. It seems at least as likely to be an attempt to incorporate more welfare-statism (or worse) and a lot less individual liberty. There are a lot of people who would reduce States to the status currently enjoyed by cities, and that would not be good either. I could see TSA style regulation enshrined in Articles. Shudder!!
Oncea convention got going, it might be real hard to contain. As with so many well intentioned desires, be careful what you wish for, lest you get it good and hard.
Zero.
Less than zero.
They should, instead, hold a Prostitutional Convention. Turnout would be astronomical.
That’s every political convention, Stucky.
Zero. At any rate, who would want the current crop of evil nobodies running things today to write a constitution?
I believe there is zero chance. However I would like to see some proposed amendments to the Constitution:
Limit supreme court terms to 10 years.
Limit terms of Senators (2 or 3) and Representatives (4 to 6)
Clarify the 14th amendment, to remove automatic citizenship.
It matters not if it were changed or left as is when there is NO law enforcement to uphold what should be the strict guidlines of the law of the land. I truly hope it will not be altered to suit the NWO.
We had better hope it is zero.
I would like to see an attempt to repeal the 17th Amendment and send control of the Senate back to each states’ legislature. Chance is also probably zero.
Whatever number you want multiplied by zero.
I noticed that you said things like “With republicans in charge at the federal level, and controlling a record number of state houses” as if that mattered. Are you under some misguided ideal that there is any real difference between he parties?
Earlier in the election cycle, I’d suggested the idea of a Constitutional Convention for the purpose of updating the language and getting rid of obsolete terminology and clarify vague terms that have come to have other meaning than what was originally intended. (Don’t get me started on “original intent” because there are some very good volumes out there on what original intent could be.)
However, I have come to realize that when you are inviting a bunch of goats to rewrite the laws that bind you, you can’t expect anything but a goatfuck.
Never gonna happen.
Slim to none, and Slim’s not here.
Our Constitution is just fine the way it is. Our problems arise because Congress, the Courts, and the President don’t abide by it and “interpret” it in ways the Founders never intended.
Turning the current crop of political hachsters loose on our Constitution would be a total disaster.
But that was always going to happen because a document written in the past becomes less and less relevant to current conditions over time.
I hope not .I wouldn’t want liberals Progressives anywhere near the Constitution or with the power to make a new one.
remember if this were to occur it will all be done in secret, bend over and kiss, that appears to be our fate. with people like /great name for a politician) sheldon whitehouse claiming in the last 80 years temps up 4 degrees and sea level up ten inches in RI sounds like a tropical paradise. you are required to be a bonafide idiot to get elected from that state. from todays senate floor.
Hmmm it’s fairly simple under Article Three,Section 2 it states “with such exceptions, and under such regulations as the Congress shall make.”
Those in CONgress could pass laws that get rid of the broad spectrum of the Inter-State Commerce clause that the SCOTUS has expanded, define the Welfare state and reign in the SCOTUS. Once the laws are written each one will have one last line….” This law isn’t reviewable by the SCOTUS . This was ability was upheld in Ex parte McCardle .
Put me down for negative 12 to 15th power.
This country can’t balance a fucking checkbook, ANY attempt at a Constitutional Convention will be a complete clusterfuck. Besides, the constitution no longer applies.
That Pic badly needs an update,
None. Ignoring the economic elephant in the room for a moment , there are way too many hot button issues abortion, guns, speech, religion , citizenship in which the disagreement is very profound
The risk of a civil war or simply dissolution of the union if one side gets its way on an issue is very high, gun control is the obvious one but there are plenty of others.
As such its better to not try.
Speaking as an Englishman, and agreeing that writing a new U.S. Constitution which would enjoy broad support from today’s Americans is not possible, I wonder whether a break up might not be a good thing? Different kinds of Americans would then have the opportunity to locate themselves to a country of their liking.
I might even emigrate to one of those countries myself, and I would be a very good immigrant to have. Barack Obama wouldn’t agree, but I wouldn’t be moving to the American offshoot he would have chosen, so he would have no reason to care.