What Constitutional Amendment Would You Like to See Passed?

[LearningCurve]

None is a valid answer.

For me, there are several, but I'll limit myself to the one I consider to be the most important at this time in our history. I'd like to see term limits for members of Congress. 2 full terms for a senator, 6 full terms for a representative. This forces turnover every 12 years.

[shenmue]

1. Voting rights

[LearningCurve]

2. How so?

Limiting or expanding the franchise?

[Pab Sungenis]

41. Guaranteeing it.

There is no affirmative right to vote in the Constitution. Enumerating it would help protect the franchise.

[madamesilverspurs]

3. ERA

Long overdue.

[petronius]

42. +1. Although if I'm writing a wish list, I'd prefer to see a new version

that was completely inclusive of the entire spectrum of sex and gender identities...

[cpwm17]

4. One that requires the US Government to follow the others. n/t

[LearningCurve]

8. LOL

Indeed.

[BlueCheese]

11. I was going to say the Fourth Amendment would be a good place to start.

[Blue_In_AK]

5. Overturn Citizens United

[LearningCurve]

6. Campaign finance was a close second on my list

Something like this would be number 2 on my list.

[Vincardog]

7. Public financing of Federal elections. Vote as a RIGHT. Deny SCOTUS authority to make law, Force

SCOTUS to abide by the same ethic rules as every other court.

[Jenoch]

9. I tend to agree with you on term limits.

However, the people who vote on these these issues are the people who's time in office would become limited, so I don't think term limits will ever come to pass for the U.S. Congress.

[LearningCurve]

13. I'm under no illusion Congress would vote themselves out of a job

My first choice is certainly not the most easily achievable. In fact, almost any other amendment I can think of has a better chance of passing.

[Jenoch]

14. I have heard one possibly valid argument against term limits.

If there was that much turnover, then the staff people would end up with more power than they already have. I don't know enough about the staff to make an informed decision on that one.

[LearningCurve]

16. Hadn't heard that one before

I'd have to consider that as well.

[Initech]

10. Equal Rights, Citizens United Overturned

[Douglas Carpenter]

12. I would support a constitutional ban on all campaign contributions for all public offices with

language that would effectively remove money from politics altogether or as much as possible.


I cannot imagine any conceivable advantage I can think of to term limits. I would strongly oppose that.

[LearningCurve]

15. I can think of one really compelling argument in favor of term limits

[Douglas Carpenter]

19. or

But the point is - as long as money dominates politics - it really doesn't matter

[cpwm17]

27. As always, I agree with you here

This is the number one issue. You fix the legal corruption problem, many of the other problems will partly correct themselves.

[badtoworse]

17. Balanced budget

[LearningCurve]

18. Thanks for responding

I'm curious, any provisions for emergencies? For instance, times of war.

[badtoworse]

45. Yes, for true emergencies such as declared war.

These would be difficult to invoke and the vast majority of deficit spending we've seen over the last 30 years or so would not have qualified.

[hobbit709]

20. Banning any and all political activity by corporations.

[Niceguy1]

30. and unions

It grinds my gears to see my dues raised for political purposes and to support candidates that I am voting against.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

32. DU is an LLC

[dairydog91]

44. So was MSNBC (Now a corporation)

Dailykos is an LLC
HuffingtonPost is a corporation
MotherJones is a corporation
AlterNet is owned by a corporation

There's a lot going on in the concept of "Corporate free speech". Unfortunately it usually gets glossed over in favor of a simple narrative based on peculiar ideas about what "corporations" actually are.

[spin]

21. Term limits for members of Congress. ...

We already limit the President to two terms. I see no reason to for a politician to serve more than 30 years in the Congress which would mean four terms in the Senate or twelve terms in the House.

After 30 years it's time for a congressman to retire and move on. Most who support this idea favor a far lower limit on the number of terms but I do see some true value in experience.

I retired after working 37 years for a large corporation and to be honest, I was burned out.

[bemildred]

22. ERA. That will blow the whole mess right out of the water.

But Campaign finance reform is a close second.

[MindPilot]

23. Right to Privacy

Privacy is infered in the 4th, but I would like to see an explict right to privacy amendment that extended privacy protections beyond due process.

[LadyHawkAZ]

24. ERA

Separation of church and state, including barring special privileges for religious institutions.

Public campaign finance at the state and federal levels and a permanent ban on campaign donations.

Uniform rules for recall of a federal elected official.

A updated form of the Fairness Doctrine.

[FarCenter]

25. I'd like to see a fourth branch of government to clear away the work of the other three

It should be set up away from Washington, consist of 435 members, one from each congressional district, and it should be able to:
- repeal laws,
- retract regulations,
- countermand executive orders, and
- nullify court decisions and precedents.

Just like a forest needs fungus and rot to clear away the fallen leaves and branches, the government needs a body that can do the same with the unwise or outmoded products of the other three branches.

It should be set up in some place like Rapid City, South Dakota. It should only meet for 90 days each year. Lobbyists, foreign agents and diplomats, and other bought influence peddlers should be forbidden from approaching nearer than 100 miles.

[Spider Jerusalem]

26. The abolition of the presidential system of government...

and its replacement by parliamentary government with both houses elected by proportional representation (and an end to the over-representation of under-populated states) and the role of the upper house limited to that of a revising body with the ability to delay but not to block legislation from the lower house (as under the British system).

The US system of government is inherently and fundamentally flawed; it needs radical reform, not just ill-conceived band-aids like term limits (which are a bad idea anyway).

[Niceguy1]

33. I think our system is better

You get the best of both worlds. I don't thonk that the smaller states shpuld be domiinated bt rhe bigger ones...

[Spider Jerusalem]

38. Not really

it's measurably worse in most respects. As it is, equal representation in the Senate means that conservative states that account for less than 30% of the population of the entire country can block legislation that most Americans want passed. Why should a minority of the population have the political power to thwart progress and impose reactionary social policies?

[Fire Walk With Me]

28. How about: "Fuck with the Constitution, 're-interpret' it, GO TO JAIL." n/t

[ramapo]

29. Only People Are People

Corporations are not people

[Nye Bevan]

37. So you would strip corporations of all of their constitutional protections?

How about unions? Nonprofits such as Planned Parenthood? LLC's such as DemocraticUnderground? Because these are not "people" either.

[mwrguy]

31. Repeal of the 2nd

So we can finally get the gun issue taken care of.

[Socal31]

40. Exactly.

Then we can replace it with one making drugs illegal, which should take care of the drug issue as well.

[NoPasaran]

34. Votes for dolphins

[LearningCurve]

35. Finally someone around here is talking sense!

[BlueToTheBone]

36. ERA n/t

[Vashta Nerada]

39. I would like to see the government follow the 4th Amendment.

[Glassunion]

43. Free candy

I love me some free candy.