A More Perfect Constitution
A More Perfect Constitution is a book published by American political scientist at the University of Virginia, Larry J. Sabato,[1] in which he proposes a constitutional convention to substantially overhaul the United States Constitution.[2][3][4] He points out that after the Bill of Rights, there have only been seventeen constitutional amendments over the past 220 years. He argues that a constitutional convention is overdue and is something that the Founding Fathers would have wanted. He offers 23 proposals for revising the Constitution.[2]
.jpg.webp) The cover of "A More Perfect Constitution", written by Larry J. Sabato. | |
| Author | Larry Sabato |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Nonfiction |
| Publisher | Walker & Company |
Publication date | October 2, 2007 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 352 |
| ISBN | 978-0-8027-1621-7 |
Sabato's proposals
The twenty-three proposals run the gamut from changing the length of the U.S. President's term in office and the number and terms of Supreme Court justices to altering the structure of Congress, modifying the Electoral College, and introducing national service.[1] Each of his proposals could be implemented with concurrence of 2/3 of each house of Congress and 3/4 of the states, except for the proposal to give some states more Senators than others. That proposal would require concurrence from every state.
Congress
- Expand the Senate to 136 members by giving the ten most populous states two additional senators each, the next fifteen most populous states one additional senator, and the District of Columbia one senator.
- Appoint all former presidents and vice presidents to the new office of "National Senator"
- Mandate non-partisan redistricting for House elections to enhance electoral competition and lessen the influence of gerrymandering.
- Lengthen the terms of representatives from two years to three years, and set Senate terms to coincide with all presidential elections, so the entire House and Senate would be elected at the same time as the President.[note 1]
- Expand the size of the House of Representatives to approximately 1,000 members from the current total of 435
- Establish term limits in both houses of the Congress
- Add a Balanced Budget Amendment to encourage fiscal fairness
- Create a Continuity of Government procedure to provide for the replacement of senators and representatives in the event of extensive deaths or incapacitation
Presidency
- Establish a new six-year, one-time presidential term with the option for the President to seek two additional years if approved by a referendum.
- Limit some presidential war-making powers and expand Congress' oversight of war-making.
- Give the president a line-item veto.
- Allow naturalised citizens to run for president or vice president after having been a citizen for 20 years.
Supreme Court
- Eliminate lifetime tenure for federal judges in favor of non-renewable 15-year terms for all federal judges.
- Grant Congress the power to set a mandatory retirement age for all federal judges.
- Expand the size of the Supreme Court from 9 to 12.
- Give federal judges a guarantee increases of cost of living.
Politics
- Write a new constitutional article specifically for the politics of the American system.
- Adopt a regional, staggered lottery system, over four months, for presidential party nominations
- Keep the Electoral College, as the previously suggested Congress reforms would preserve the benefits of the College while minimising the chances a president will win without a majority of the popular vote.
- Reform campaign financing by preventing wealthy candidates from financing their campaigns and mandate partial public financing for Congress campaigns.
- Adopt an automatic registration system for all qualified American citizens to guarantee t right to vote.
Universal national service
- Create a constitutional requirement that all able-bodied young Americans devote at least two years of national service.
National constitutional convention
- Convene a new constitutional convention using the mechanism authorised by Article Five of the United States Constitution.
See also
- Lawrence Lessig, prominent scholar advocating for a new constitution[5]
Notes
- While electing the president and Senate simultaneously would not work with the current four-year presidential terms, Sabato proposes a six-year presidential term as described below.
References
- Lane, Eric; Oreskes, Michael & Sabato, Larry J. (October 30, 2007). "Books: Authors on Saving the Constitution, Nation". Washington Post. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
... has been generating a lot of controversy...
- McLemee, Scott (January 26, 2008). "Constitutional review: Illuminating the historical underpinnings and current relevance of America's fundamental legal document". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
Larry J. Sabato's A More Perfect Constitution ... a series of major overhauls ... calls for a new Constitutional Convention ...
- Barnes, Fred (October 16, 2007). "A Meeting to Amend". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
... Sabato has undertaken in A More Perfect Constitution, where he urges us to convene a constitutional convention and pass a flurry of amendments.
- Norris, Sarah (February 11, 2009). "U. Virginia Prof's New Book Aims To 'stir The Pot', Revise Constitution". CBS News. Retrieved November 21, 2012.
... Sabato said he sought to revitalize the political system by reforming and revising the Constitution.
- Seitz-Wald, Alex (November 2, 2013). "The U.S. Needs a New Constitution—Here's How to Write It". The Atlantic. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
... In his 2008 book, A More Perfect Constitution: Why the Constitution Must Be Revised, Sabato... Lawrence Lessig, the iconoclastic professor who is now at Harvard, traces the rise of hyper-partisanship...
External links
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