How Would You Change The US Constitution?

Politics
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So, every few centuries it seems there is a notable evolution in government. Obviously, it’s arguable that the US system of government is the “best” qualified by various metrics: liberty and the outcomes of large military/economic power houses.

However, unless one were to claim that humanity has hit its peak with an 18th century agreement on principles of governance, how would you improve the current US government?

I think term limits and a 6 year one term presidency would benefit the US by helping remove the impulse for politicians to develop policy based on cynical practices relative to election cycles.

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no change to electoral college?

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Idk. It’s not something I’ve really sat down and thought about.

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100 percent agree on term limits! There is no good in having career politicians. Sick and tired of seeing many of the same faces year after year and seeing how they enrich themselves and their families via their positions of power.

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Assuming the retention of a Presidential system, I would take steps to severely weaken the executive. I would create a Supreme Military Commission which would have the ability to oversight and override the President’s authority as Commander in Chief. I would curtail the veto power so that 55% of both Houses, rather than 67% of both Houses would be required to override. I would give Congress the power to veto Presidential and agency actions by concurrent resolution that the President would not have the power to veto.

I would limit Presidents to one four year term.

I would mandate a biennial budgeting system and would require that Congress finish the budget and appropriations in the year they take office and ban adjournments and recesses until the budget and appropriations were completed.

Overall, I would like to move power away from the executive and back towards the legislative.

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6

Wow…

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off the top of my head.

Single term for President.
Term limit for Congress
mandatory retirement for Judges.

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They are all too ******* powerful, Carter, Reagan, GHW Bush, Clinton, GW Bush, Obama and Trump. Every President in the past. Every President to come. Every ******* one of them.

No one man should possess the power of life and death on such a scale.

The Presidency is too ******* powerful all around and needs to be reigned in, in a major way. Presidents of both parties have strutted around like tin horn dictators.

1 Like
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I oppose arbitrary retirement for Judges. I would support the creation of a Judicial Disability and Discipline Commission, such as exists in many States, that would have the power to investigate Article III Judges and would allow the Supreme Court to remove lower court Judges for cause on the recommendation of the commission. I would have a process where Judges who, because of age and mental disability, should not be on the bench anymore, could be investigated and if necessary removed in a quiet and dignified manner.

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I have always liked the idea of term limits, in congress especially as they are using their last year in office for the sole purpose of trying to get reelected.

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11

Instead of term limits do this:

  1. Candidates can only raise money from those that can elect them. Example, house district only citizen of that district can contribute to that candiate. Limit each election cycle to FDIC insured limit at banks (Currently 250k . . . so for primary and general election the total one person could contribute to a candidate is 500k).
    This applies to any elected office from president to dog catcher.

2)Any other advertising from anyone or anything other than the actual candidate may not use the likeness or name of any candidate/politician in their advertising.

  1. No party affiliation may be listed on a ballot other than in primary elections. In the General election, candidates listed in random order, no party afficiation listed, nor if they are an incumbant.

  2. No straight party voting.

Once that happens, you will see if the incumbant has the votes (and money from those voters) to stay in office.

2 Likes
12

Term limits.

Two terms for POTUS.

Two for the senate.

Four for the house.

Keep the terms as is at four, six, and two years respectively.

Campaign finance reform.

10k limit on donations to any individual, and 50k per election cycle. Index the limits to reflect inflation.

Ban all out of state donations for congressional and state races.

A complete ban on lawsuits by individuals or groups representing plants or animals (non human).

An end to all federal spending not specifically covered by the taxing and spending clause.

An amendment requiring all court decisions be based solely on the original text and intent of any portion of the constitution or written statute.

That would get us off to a great start.

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repeal citizen united?

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(side note: To reply to all the folks who like term limits, I ask again, has term limits helped the government of California?)

To reply to the OP, the two biggest differences I see between 1776 and now are population and transportation/communication technology.

Which gives rise to the following proposal: eliminate the geographic aspect of representation. At least for the House.

331,000,000 people in the US, 435 representatives = 1 rep for every 750,000 people (rounding freely)

How about a system where each member of the House represents people directly rather than representing a district.
Every person who can present a petition with the signatures of 500,000 citizens is a member of the House.
Every citizen gets one signature.
Citizens “sign a petition” only once every two years.

That congress critter represents those 500K people directly,

That gives me the choice to find the politician who represents my views on foreign policy, the military, immigration, vegetarianism and what ever else I find important.
And my views aren’t diluted or deflected by my neighbors.

If Jane Politician finds 500,000 people who thinks she should be in Congress, then she goes to DC.

I am directly represented, not based on my zip code, but based on my opinions.

If Jane Politician has 1 million folks who agree with her… either we (her supporters) hunt up Jack who agrees with us and half of us sign his petition or perhaps Jane holds two seats.

The ongoing mechanics of keeping the House membership small enough to work (i.e. adjusting the 500,000 to increasing population) and such is not the core of what I’m suggesting.

The world of 2020 is so different from the world of 1776, that a contemporary expression of the values of the Founders can’t be achieved by tweaking the procedures of 1776. The change in procedure has to be as radical as the change in technology and population has been.

Direct representation of groups of individuals should replace representation of geographic sub divisions.

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Citizens United is not part of The Constitution. It would cease to be law with the above mentioned amendment being passed and ratified.

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Term limits for House and Senate.
Replace the electoral college with the popular vote.
All federal office elections would use instant runoff voting.
Ban discrimination based on gender, skin color, sex, and sexual orientation.
Clarify various other established parts of constitution in regards to things like general welfare, 2nd amendment, etc.

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How could you have “instant runoff voting” before the votes are even tallied?

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What do you mean?

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I would move primaries to a ranked voting system.

You rank candidates on the ballot from 1-whatever, and like golf the one with the lowest score wins.

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I think he’s talking the type of ballot where you choose your first, second, third, fourth choices.

No one gets a majority, the bottom person removed. Re tallied. Still no majority the next with lowest removed and re-tallied. goes on until someone has 50+1% of the vote.