# What Amendment would you add to the US Constitution? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 17, 2007, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377 "2007-06-17T18:12:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2017, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377/61 "2017-07-29T17:42:53Z")
Yeah, but…would no longer be a legal defense. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2017, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377/62 "2017-07-29T17:55:19Z")
I’m wondering what affect passing an amendment that banned all political parties would have. Would it make the current situation better or worse? ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2017, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377/63 "2017-07-30T11:12:20Z")
I don’t know exactly how to phrase it, but I would like an amendment limiting the terms of both Senators and Representatives. It is my belief that the original intent at the nation’s founding was for legislator to be a temporary job. 1. Any state which **re** -elects any Senator or Representative must have that choice approved by simple majority in a national referendum. IF the nation decides not to approve their election, that state will be without representation until the next election for that office. (Numeric definitions of majorities will be recalculated to reflect the new numbers of Sens and Reps) Too many legislators are “fat dogs in mangers that are long overdue for mucking out”, and I would like to give the whole country an option to give them the boot. If a state persists in re-electing reprehensible legislators, they will have to do without representation until they offer new blood, or someone acceptable to the country as a whole. This is bipartisan and would affect a Pelosi as much as a Cruz. While I’m at it, I’d like an amendment requiring all representatives to travel to and from Washington by bus – just so they can see what the hell is going on… but I don’t know how to word that one. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2017, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377/64 "2017-07-30T14:01:09Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > I’m wondering what affect passing an amendment that banned all political parties would have. Would it make the current situation better or worse? Without the logistics of a political party to support them only rich people (or people backed by rich people) would be able to afford financially and time-wise to run for office on any level. This is already true on national level politics for the most part (unfortunately) but it would trickle down to local politics too. ---
**Author:** ![Oddball\_92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b3f665/32.png) [@Oddball\_92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oddball_92)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2017, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377/65 "2017-07-31T01:18:02Z")
To require marriage be between one person who was born a man and one person who was born a woman. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2017, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377/66 "2017-07-31T01:50:19Z")
Every ten years the number of Representatives each state gets will be determined by the number of voters who cast ballots over the previous five elections. That way if you suppress the vote you get fewer seats in Congress. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2017, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377/67 "2017-07-31T02:42:27Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > Ding! Ding! Ding! That’s why the College is important. Properly implemented , it would make it very hard to win with 50.1% of the popular vote. This comment makes no sense. Any time the popular vote splits 50.1% - 49.9% someone either wins with 50.1% or 49.9% under any system that doesn’t call for a do-over. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2017, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377/68 "2017-07-31T03:00:03Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Seats in Congress SHALL NOT be determined by Geographic Location–rather, it shall be determined by the names of the Citizens resident that year, during the Census. Each Seat in Congress shall be assigned, proportionately, to segments of the State’s Population, sorted into groups, by the first three letters of the Citizens family name. Groups of names shall be rounded up, to ensure no Voter shall not be Represented. This shall be enacted to prevent Gerrymandering. You do know what happens if citizens are assigned to districts randomly don’t you? With a high probability ever Congressional seat in the state goes to the party with a majority vote in the state unless the vote totals are very close. Consider California, it would take me too long to add up the vote totals but let’s assume it went 60% Democratic 40% Republican which is a bit redder than it actually did. There were 11 million votes cast and 53 districts. so a bit more than than 200,000 per district. If you pick 200,000 voters at random when 60% voted Democratic, what are the chances the random district elects a Republican. They’re so close to zero so as to not matter. In fact if the state voted 50.5% Democratic, the chance the a Republican wins a district is .0004% ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377/69 "2017-07-31T17:41:01Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > Here’s one: ten-year-old threads cannot be resurrected. 🙂 Tell me about it. I don’t remember this thread, and I apparently wrote it. [QUOTE=Derleth] OK, so if I’m damaged by the actions of a corporation, who do I sue? Do I have to sue every individual shareholder individually? Because that’s what I’m reduced to. Similarly, if I invest in a corporation, perhaps via a mutual fund, and it turns out to be Enron 2: Scandal Boogaloo, how much am I personally liable for? [/QUOTE] I’m not saying that corporations wouldn’t have legal status. I’m just saying that this legal status wouldn’t extend to “person-hood”, meaning no corporate entity would have individual rights. It would still exist as a thing that can sue and be sued, however. (This is not completely different from how things work, at least in the states with which I am familiar. You are typically required to register your corporate entity in order to transact business in the state, and registration includes things like designating a registered agent for the purposes of receiving service of lawsuits). ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2017, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377/70 "2017-07-31T17:55:06Z")
> [@Oddball\_92](#): > > To require marriage be between one person who was born a man and one person who was born a woman. That’s the best example yet of “a solution in search of a problem.” ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2017, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377/71 "2017-07-31T20:07:47Z")
“The rights and protections put forth herein apply without exception to all humans either born in, or naturalized citizens of, the United States of America.” ETA: including zombies ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2017, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377/72 "2017-07-31T20:15:19Z")
> [@Oddball\_92](#): > > To require marriage be between one person who was born a man and one person who was born a woman. I like it! Completely do away with the archaic institution of marriage by imposing impossible standards to who can get married, genius. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377/73 "2017-07-31T21:14:04Z")
Abolish Daylight Savings Time. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2017, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377/74 "2017-07-31T23:26:58Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > I’d want an ammendment about privacy, above and beyond what the 4th gives. Not just secure in one’s paper, but also in one’s body, thoughts, private affairs (including who you marry or just have sex with) and so forth. > [@mswas](#): > > I’d support you if it had broader language. I won’t support anything that would specifically support gay rights, but something that supports the right to enter into a domestic union of any makeup you choose. I don’t think the constitution should have any non-universal language. No laws that apply only to specific subset of the population due to a short term political issue regarding that subclass. Basically, I do not think that gay rights will be a major issue in 40 years, and enshrining it in the constitution would only elongate what will largely be a non-issue to adults who are currently under the age of 25. The state shall make no law to protect the sensibilities of one citizen from another. ---
**Author:** ![Oddball\_92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b3f665/32.png) [@Oddball\_92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oddball_92)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377/75 "2017-08-01T00:23:43Z")
> [@Mr\_Shine](#): > > I like it! Completely do away with the archaic institution of marriage by imposing impossible standards to who can get married, genius. Impossible standards? I don’t think so. It has been that way for centuries. genius ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377/76 "2017-08-01T01:54:38Z")
Term limits for congress. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377/77 "2017-08-01T02:09:06Z")
Prohibit discrimination in employment, etc. on the basis of political views, or the penalizing, even by private organizations or employers, of employees on the basis of political views. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377/78 "2017-08-01T02:42:08Z")
> [@Oddball\_92](#): > > Impossible standards? I don’t think so. It has been that way for centuries. genius I assume that they’re reading Man = Adult Male and Woman = Adult Female. People aren’t born as adults. ---
**Author:** ![Pabitel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Pabitel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pabitel)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377/79 "2017-08-01T13:01:27Z")
Every person who meets the requirements as a legal voter in their jurisdiction will be automatically registered to vote. The removal of voting rights shall not be a punishment for any crime. Voter registration will be the only criteria for voting for candidates for federal office. Primary elections held by political parties will not include any additional barriers to participation. Anyone registered to vote may vote in any primary. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377/80 "2017-08-01T20:09:31Z")
We need more than one. - Repeal the 16th and 17th Amendments; implement the Fair Tax - mandate a balanced budget from Congress - term limits on Congress; no pensions; Congress can’t exempt itself from the laws it passes [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-amendment-would-you-add-to-the-us-constitution/408377.md?page=5)