# What constitutional reforms would you like to see post-Trump? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [July 5, 2026, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444 "2026-07-05T22:07:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444/61 "2026-07-06T23:35:11Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Antigerrymandering proposals: would have to be along the lines that the drawing be taken out of the hands of the legislators, and that districts be required to be contiguous and compact It isn’t that simple. See John Oliver on Gerrymandering. Worth watching the whole thing, but see the part starting at 13m50s Some oddly shaped districts are that way for a good reason. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/A-4dIImaodQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Gerrymandering: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-4dIImaodQ) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2026, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444/62 "2026-07-06T23:39:36Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I agree. But I think a general rule for amending the Constitution should be “Would this still be a good idea if Barack Obama or Joe Biden was President instead of Donald Trump?” > > Voting rights, abolishing the Electoral College, and enacting the Wyoming rule? Those are all good ideas regardless of who’s President. But abolishing pardons, lowering the impeachment bar, setting age or weight limits? Those are as likely to be used against a good President as a bad one. I concur, except we disagree a little on a few small points. > [@JRDelirious](#): > > Absolutely do make it that voting is a fundamental right of the eligible citizen. And no tests, no requiring proving you are a citizen, no requiring having a certain ID that some voters have a hard time getting, etc.. > [@JRDelirious](#): > > While at it go over those quaint old passages about “natural born” Have we had a real issue with “Natural Born” yet? > [@JRDelirious](#): > > But even there, someone serving 20 to 24 years is not _intrinsecally_ wrong if they are truly popular with the voters, the real problem are the many cases where there is no real competitive challenge in either primary or general (from cost, gerrymandering, etc.) so that they stick around forever and have no need to be responsive and no fear of accountability. Yeah, i agree- if the voters _really_ want six term old dude, then they can have him. > [@jsc1953](#): > > Delete the “high crimes and misdemeanors” wording and replace with specific criteria for impeachment. I More specific at least. > [@jsc1953](#): > > Annul the SCOTUS “presidential immunity” ruling by statements that the president is subject to criminal prosecution during and after his term. The immunity is only for Official acts within the purview of the office. So far, it has had no reffect. > [@jsc1953](#): > > Also, that anyone convicted of a felony is ineligible for high office. IMHO- if the voters want a Felon, they can have a felon. Democracy. ---
**Author:** ![Leftpopulist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ee7513/32.png) [@Leftpopulist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leftpopulist)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444/63 "2026-07-07T03:18:10Z")
Proportional representation. Then we have a multi-party system with no party having a majority, ever, so nothing gets done unless a multiparty coalition favors it. > **[Proportional representation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proportional_representation)** > > Proportional representation (PR) is achieved by any electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The party make-up of the elected representatives reflects the party make-up of the votes cast. The concept applies to representation of political parties and also other divisions of voters. The term is used for any of the various electoral systems that produce proportional representation. The aim of such systems is that all votes cast, or ... ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444/64 "2026-07-07T04:09:11Z")
> [@Leftpopulist](#): > > Proportional representation. Then we have a multi-party system with no party having a majority, ever, so nothing gets done unless a multiparty coalition favors it. Just how Israel, Italy and the UK currently works And look how well that is working today. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444/65 "2026-07-07T06:11:47Z")
As opposed to how seamlessly our system has been working lately? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444/66 "2026-07-07T07:05:22Z")
UK doesn’t have proportional representation. It’s first-past-the-post. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444/67 "2026-07-07T08:16:38Z")
> [@Toxgoddess](#): > > Specify a non-partisan body to “call” the election - no more letting Fox News or CNN announce who the next president is. We already have people whose job it is to call elections. It no doubt varies from state to state, but usually the Sec of State or some underling thereof. However, they don’t do this until about 3 or 4 weeks after the election is over. The media call elections usually that night, but those calls have absolutely no legal status. But trying to restrict such calls will run afoul of the 1st Amendment. I posted this suggestion in another thread, but it really goes here. Convert the Department of Justice into a fourth branch of the government. In this DoJ, the Attorney General will not be appointed by the President, nor can the AG be removed by the President. The AG will be elected by the federal judges for a specific term with some kind of term limits. (Perhaps 3 year terms with a limit of 3 terms. Something like that.) The AG can also be impeached by Congress. Allow the DoJ to investigate and prosecute any official in any of the other branches, including the President. The President violating a law even in an official act is not immune to prosecution. All District Attorneys and other officials in the DoJ will be appointed by the AG, not the President. They may have to be confirmed by the Senate, as they are now. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444/68 "2026-07-07T10:01:23Z")
Would the president still have the pardon power? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444/69 "2026-07-07T10:47:00Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Some oddly shaped districts are that way for a good reason. Which is why I warned in that same post that requiring mathematicslly objective districts coukd create representativity issues. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444/70 "2026-07-07T12:51:33Z")
Eight states (plus DC) with fewer than the average number of electoral votes have signed on to the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. If wielding disproportionate electoral influence was that important to small states, this would not have happened. Also, we need to uncap the House – the aforementioned Wyoming Rule is a good start – and pass the Fair Representation Act to kill gerrymandering dead. ---
**Author:** ![survinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@survinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/survinga)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444/71 "2026-07-07T14:10:15Z")
I think the most important reform is to lower the threshold for impeaching & removing a President. Currently, the Senate needs 2/3rd majority. I would lower that to 60%. To me, there needs to be a credible threat that a President could be removed in order to limit their criminality while in office. I would put in an amendment that makes it very clear that Presidents are not immune from their criminality just because it’s “an official part of their job”. Criminal behavior should be treated as such. Pardons should be removed from the Presidential powers entirely. Agencies set up by Congress as “Independent” should have Presidential powers more strictly enumerated, so that a guy like Trump can’t just fire someone at will. SCOTUS should have a justice for each district, which is currently 13. And there should be term limits for SCOTUS justices. Finally…we should put a Woman’s Right to Choose into an Amendment. That shouldn’t be allowed to be regulated separately by state. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444/72 "2026-07-07T15:22:43Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Would the president still have the pardon power? That’s orthogonal to my proposal about the DoJ, but I agree with the suggestion to put that power in the hands of a committee. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444/73 "2026-07-07T18:29:18Z")
> [@survinga](#): > > I think the most important reform is to lower the threshold for impeaching & removing a President. Then Bill Clinton would have been out. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444/74 "2026-07-07T19:01:10Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > They do that already, dont they? Only a couple states are winner take all. And note- even if the Congress was 90% democrats, and the states also, the Small states aint gonna vote down the Electoral college. Delaware, Conn, etc. Other way around… The vast majority are winner-take-all, and only two states assign electors to districts and the senatorial electors based on the way the statewide vote goes. I think compelling all states to adopt and adhere to this method would largely remove most criticism of the electoral college in a practical sense. The biggest problem we face is that Congress has been complicit in letting Trump thumb his nose at laws and Presidential norms. There somehow needs to be more enforcement and penalties for misbehaving Presidents beyond/outside of Congressional politics and impeachment. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444/75 "2026-07-07T19:06:03Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Other way around… The vast majority are winner-take-all, and only two states assign electors to districts and the senatorial electors based on the way the statewide vote goes. Yes, I already admitted i accidentally got it backwards. > [@DrDeth](#): > > Yeah, good point- I should have said only two states arent. But still, even tho they are as blue as can be, the small states will say “No thank you.” And remember, only two elections in memory were changed by this. Gore vs Bush, which was really close anyway, and Hillary Clinton vs you know who. > [@bump](#): > > The biggest problem we face is that Congress has been complicit in letting Trump thumb his nose at laws and Presidential norms. The voters will have a chance to fix that coming up in November. But yeah, the MAGAs are out of control. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444/76 "2026-07-07T19:39:38Z")
I often wonder about the utility of universal suffrage, mostly from the perspective of how to mitigate the effects low/no information voters and the ignorant and stupid. I mean it galls me that some chucklehead who votes for candidate A because he’s taller has the same vote as someone who carefully researches the issues and tries to come up with a well-reasoned choice for one candidate or the other. Doesn’t have anything to do with the parties; it’s the rather casual way voting seems to be approached by some that bothers me. Don’t know how to put chlorine in the voter pool without somehow being discriminatory (or potentially so) toward some unintended group though. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444/77 "2026-07-07T22:06:41Z")
Presidential Pardons just turn criminals into worse criminals. Stop it. Add something in the emoluments clause to really, really give it teeth. And also forbid family members to be appointed to the Presidents staff, or ambassadors or whatever position they invent (what the hell is Jarad doing in the Middle East?) They are just in it for a buck. Put limits on just what the President can use for his own enjoyment. Flying in AF1 to play golf is a bit much. Sure they can have fun and relax, but not at ten million dollars a pop. Stop it, do your damn job. ---
**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 9, 2026, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444/78 "2026-07-09T07:27:01Z")
Deleted by Gato ---
**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:** [July 9, 2026, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444/79 "2026-07-09T21:24:51Z")
How about an amendment requiring a President to disclose any payments or donations or other business dealings he has receiving from a person who he is pardoning before the pardon goes into effect? ---
**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:** [July 9, 2026, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444/80 "2026-07-09T21:49:25Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Put limits on just what the President can use for his own enjoyment. Flying in AF1 to play golf is a bit much. Sure they can have fun and relax, but not at ten million dollars a pop. Stop it, do your damn job. Presidents are supposed to pay for non-official use of Air Force One. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-constitutional-reforms-would-you-like-to-see-post-trump/1031444.md?page=5)