# How would you change the US constitution? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 27, 2005, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-us-constitution/314473 "2005-07-27T21:56:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-us-constitution/314473/101 "2005-08-01T00:50:13Z")
> [@](#): > > My first preference would be to split the US up into republics similar to those in the Nine Nations of North America. Split the continent up into a bunch of different countries like Europe. Because we all know that Europe’s never had any problems between its individual nations. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-us-constitution/314473/102 "2005-08-01T10:25:30Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > Here’s some things Franklin had to say about religion: > > … > > Jefferson had even more to say on the subject: On the other hand, Franklin called for prayer at the Constitutional Convention (the call wasn’t officially heeded, however), while Jefferson as President attended Sunday services _which were held in the Capitol Building_. Our Founders & Framers were rather odd ducks theologically- some devout conventional Christians, others somewhat heterodox Christians, others ranging from Masonic Unitarians, Christian Universalists, and the occasional Deist (& btw, BF & TJ weren’t exactly “conventional” Deists, BF believing in the possible efficacy of prayer & both openly speaking of Deity’s involvement & concern with human history.) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2005, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-us-constitution/314473/103 "2005-08-01T22:45:55Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > On the other hand, Franklin called for prayer at the Constitutional Convention (the call wasn’t officially heeded, however), while Jefferson as President attended > Sunday services _which were held in the Capitol Building_. > > Our Founders & Framers were rather odd ducks theologically- some devout conventional Christians, others somewhat heterodox Christians, others ranging > from Masonic Unitarians, Christian Universalists, and the occasional Deist (& btw, > BF & TJ weren’t exactly “conventional” Deists, BF believing in the possible efficacy of prayer & both openly speaking of Deity’s involvement & concern with human history.) OTOH, consider the following passage, from “Our Godless Constitution,” by Brooke Allen, in _The Nation,_ 2/21/05 – [http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20050221&c=1&s=allen:](http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20050221&c=1&s=allen:) > [@](#): > > In 1797 our government concluded a “Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the United States of America and the Bey and Subjects of Tripoli, or Barbary,” now known simply as the Treaty of Tripoli. Article 11 of the treaty contains these words: > As the Government of the United States…is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion–as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity of Musselmen–and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries. > This document was endorsed by Secretary of State Timothy Pickering and President John Adams. It was then sent to the Senate for ratification; the vote was unanimous. It is worth pointing out that although this was the 339th time a recorded vote had been required by the Senate, it was only the third unanimous vote in the Senate’s history. There is no record of debate or dissent. The text of the treaty was printed in full in the Philadelphia Gazette and in two New York papers, but there were no screams of outrage, as one might expect today. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-us-constitution/314473/104 "2005-08-02T12:20:05Z")
I’d probably add a Privacy Amendment… clarify (to expand) the Establishment Clause with regard to the whole religion thing. I’d also suggest a Constitutional requirement to include in all laws a “purpose” section - and allow for laws to be invalidated if the purpose runs afoul of the Constitution (or if the purpose doesn’t match the practical effects of the law.) I imagine it’s rare that a law’s purpose would conflict with the Constitution when the law itself doesn’t, but it would force lawmakers to think about what they’re doing. Then again, some laws seem to have that sort of thing already. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-us-constitution/314473/105 "2005-08-02T12:45:30Z")
> [@Evil Captor](#): > > :wally > > Or maybe he was talking about all the Deists – basically, pre-Darwin agnostics – among the Founding Fathers who wrote the Constitution and other such documents. Or the business interests, which settled Jamestown and could have given a flying fuck about religious liberties as long as the colony produced a profit and everyone was Anglican (which was the state religion in VA up to Jefferson’s Statute of Religious Freedoms). ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-us-constitution/314473/106 "2005-08-02T13:30:06Z")
I’d add to the powers of the federal government the authority to legislate in order to protect the environment/ecosystems/natural habitats/species, public health, employee rights (in the private and state/federal sectors), and consumer rights. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-us-constitution/314473/107 "2005-08-02T13:41:04Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > 😕 On what do you base that assessment? Religous displays taken out of courthouses around the country. Christmas being relabelled as “holiday season”. Boy scouts no longer allowed on military bases. (Thankfully, this was later overturned by a 98-0 senate vote.) But, that it even happened in the first place shows how much power the anti-religious groups like the ACLU have nowadays, especially in the unnaccountable courts. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2005, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-us-constitution/314473/108 "2005-08-02T17:42:43Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > Religous displays taken out of courthouses around the country. Christmas being relabelled as “holiday season”. Boy scouts no longer allowed on military bases. (Thankfully, this was later overturned by a 98-0 senate vote.) But, that it even happened in the first place shows how much power the anti-religious groups like the ACLU have nowadays, especially in the unnaccountable courts. The ACLU is anti-religious? The ACLU actually DISLIKES religion and struggles AGAINST religion? Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-us-constitution/314473/109 "2005-08-10T19:10:46Z")
Four New Amendments: 1. Repeal the 16th Amendment and institute the [Fair Tax](http://www.fairtax.org) . 2. In any fiscal year, Congress cannot submit a budget that is greater than 99% of the total tax revenues brought in in the preceding fiscal year. Any surplus at the end of the fiscal year will be rebated as block grants to the states. 3. Term limits. No one may serve more than a aggregate total of 12 years in the Congress. This means 2 terms as a Senator, 6 terms as a Rep, or 1 term as a Senator plus 3 terms as a Rep. 4. Do away with the Electoral College and implement the sudden runoff system for election of the President and members of Congress. Also change election day to the second Saturday in November. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-us-constitution/314473/110 "2005-08-10T19:37:29Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Four New Amendments: > > 1. Repeal the 16th Amendment and institute the [Fair Tax](http://www.fairtax.org) . > > 2. In any fiscal year, Congress cannot submit a budget that is greater than 99% of the total tax revenues brought in in the preceding fiscal year. Any surplus at the end of the fiscal year will be rebated as block grants to the states. > > 3. Term limits. No one may serve more than a aggregate total of 12 years in the Congress. This means 2 terms as a Senator, 6 terms as a Rep, or 1 term as a Senator plus 3 terms as a Rep. > > 4. Do away with the Electoral College and implement the sudden runoff system for election of the President and members of Congress. Also change election day to the second Saturday in November. 1. Are you assuming that a) the national debt has been repaid or b) need never be repaid? 2. The problem isn’t people staying in office too long, it’s that we get the wrong ones in the first place. 3. Have you no consideration for college football? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-us-constitution/314473/111 "2005-08-10T20:36:27Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > 1. Do away with the Electoral College and implement the sudden runoff system for election of the President and members of Congress. “Sudden runoff”? Do you mean instant runoff? > [@Clothahump](#): > > Also change election day to the second Saturday in November. Jews (and Seventh-Day Adventists) might object to that. Better we should make election day a Monday and make it a national holiday. Better still, keep the polls open all three days of a three-day weekend. Everybody gets a chance to vote on a non-sacred day. Monday, of course, is sacred to nobody. (Quite the contrary. 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-us-constitution/314473/112 "2005-08-10T22:37:34Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > 1. Are you assuming that a) the national debt has been repaid or b) need never be repaid? No. The budget currently allocates about 1/3 to servicing the National Debt. The 1% overage would go toward paying down the debt. As it decreases, the interest expense decreases, so more of the budget will go toward paying down instead of paying interest. Eventually we reach stability and the block grants start. > [@BobLibDem](#): > > 1. The problem isn’t people staying in office too long, it’s that we get the wrong ones in the first place. Well, that’s a different issue, and I do agree with you. My basis, though, is that we don’t let them get fossilized in situ like Strom Thurmond. Yes, term limits will roll good people out as well, but I feel that the good folks will accomplish more in the 12 years than the bad will, and that we will benefit overall from the constant influx of new viewpoints. > [@BobLibDem](#): > > 1. Have you no consideration for college football? None whatsoever. I have this old-fashioned idea that colleges are supposed to be for education, not playing on an NFL or NBA farm club team. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2005, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-us-constitution/314473/113 "2005-08-10T22:41:08Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > “Sudden runoff”? Do you mean instant runoff? Yes. The idea of everyone voting for 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice, then if there’s not a 50% majority for 1st choice, take the last guy on the list and allocate his votes, etc., etc. until we have a winner. > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Jews (and Seventh-Day Adventists) might object to that. Better we should make election day a Monday and make it a national holiday. Better still, keep the polls open all three days of a three-day weekend. Everybody gets a chance to vote on a non-sacred day. Monday, of course, is sacred to nobody. (Quite the contrary. 😉 ) Monday and a national holiday I would go for. Otherwise, let’s put it on the weekend when people are much more likely to vote. And if someone chooses not to vote because of some religious claptrap, then shame on them. ---
**Author:** ![spectrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@spectrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spectrum)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-us-constitution/314473/114 "2005-08-11T21:12:59Z")
No, you don’t want to put voting on a Monday and make it a holiday – people would go out of town, and I’d imagine voting would actually go DOWN. Keep voting on a Tuesday and make it a Federal holiday. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-us-constitution/314473.md?page=5)