What ammendments would you like to see to the USconstitution

Every so often an idea comes up that would require a constitutional amendment. What amendments would you like to see?

One of mine.

Any lifetime appointment requires a 60% supermajority in the Senate. (In our current 100 vote Senate that would be 60 votes).

The reason for this being that a lifetime is a very long time to keep an individual in a position of power and a supermajority requirement ensures that the individual in question has broad based support.

biochem wrote:What amendments would you like to see?

None.

Consitutions, and especially THE Constitution are not underwear, they don't have to be changed once a month whether they need it or not.

Term limits for congressmen and women. 2 terms for Senators and 6 for Representatives. This allows for 24 years of service. The Presidency has a term limit, why not Congress to?

I wouldn't mind a reaffirming of what the federal government can do,. It seems like it is seriously over reaching its powers by stretching the definition of its allowed powers.

Zakharra wrote:Term limits for congressmen and women. 2 terms for Senators and 6 for Representatives. This allows for 24 years of service. The Presidency has a term limit, why not Congress to?

I wouldn't mind a reaffirming of what the federal government can do,. It seems like it is seriously over reaching its powers by stretching the definition of its allowed powers.

This one I strongly disapprove of. I admit that term limits are very promising to new politicians yearning to speed their rise to the top, and to those they are able to demagogue into believing it would help get the Congress to do its job. But, my experience with the state legislature here on the left coast, is that since this became law at the state level the legislature has been unable to do Jack for the good of the state, because term limits leave us with legislators who know they'll be gone to the next job before we get around to paying for the mistakes they're making now. And those mistakes pile up and bring the whole state down with no one to hold accountable (they've all moved on or gone home.) Before this became law here, we had the best school ratings and average taxes, now we have the some of the worst school systems in the nation and the highest (by far) state tax rates. Term limits are not the only reason for this, but it is a major contributor.

Zakharra wrote:Term limits for congressmen and women. 2 terms for Senators and 6 for Representatives. This allows for 24 years of service. The Presidency has a term limit, why not Congress to?

I agree, they've managed to stack the deck so much that turnover is impossible in some districts.

I'd also be tempted to set an upper limit on the "Life time" apointments. After all, lifespans are getting longer.
26 years sounds like a good number.

Change the "born in the US" requirement. Long term citizenship allowed if born outside the US.

Annachie wrote:I'd also be tempted to set an upper limit on the "Life time" apointments. After all, lifespans are getting longer.
26 years sounds like a good number.

Change the "born in the US" requirement. Long term citizenship allowed if born outside the US.

I'd rather have the requirement to be President stay being born a US citizen.

ksandgren wrote:

Zakharra wrote:Term limits for congressmen and women. 2 terms for Senators and 6 for Representatives. This allows for 24 years of service. The Presidency has a term limit, why not Congress to?

I wouldn't mind a reaffirming of what the federal government can do,. It seems like it is seriously over reaching its powers by stretching the definition of its allowed powers.

This one I strongly disapprove of. I admit that term limits are very promising to new politicians yearning to speed their rise to the top, and to those they are able to demagogue into believing it would help get the Congress to do its job. But, my experience with the state legislature here on the left coast, is that since this became law at the state level the legislature has been unable to do Jack for the good of the state, because term limits leave us with legislators who know they'll be gone to the next job before we get around to paying for the mistakes they're making now. And those mistakes pile up and bring the whole state down with no one to hold accountable (they've all moved on or gone home.) Before this became law here, we had the best school ratings and average taxes, now we have the some of the worst school systems in the nation and the highest (by far) state tax rates. Term limits are not the only reason for this, but it is a major contributor.

It does limit the good some can do, but it also limits the bad as well, and I can honestly say there are more bad Congressmen/women than good ones. It also prevents career politicians and keeps lobbiest influence (hopefully) to a minimum.

Zakharra wrote:

Annachie wrote:I'd also be tempted to set an upper limit on the "Life time" apointments. After all, lifespans are getting longer.
26 years sounds like a good number.

Change the "born in the US" requirement. Long term citizenship allowed if born outside the US.

I'd rather have the requirement to be President stay being born a US citizen.

ksandgren wrote:This one I strongly disapprove of. I admit that term limits are very promising to new politicians yearning to speed their rise to the top, and to those they are able to demagogue into believing it would help get the Congress to do its job. But, my experience with the state legislature here on the left coast, is that since this became law at the state level the legislature has been unable to do Jack for the good of the state, because term limits leave us with legislators who know they'll be gone to the next job before we get around to paying for the mistakes they're making now. And those mistakes pile up and bring the whole state down with no one to hold accountable (they've all moved on or gone home.) Before this became law here, we had the best school ratings and average taxes, now we have the some of the worst school systems in the nation and the highest (by far) state tax rates. Term limits are not the only reason for this, but it is a major contributor.

It does limit the good some can do, but it also limits the bad as well, and I can honestly say there are more bad Congressmen/women than good ones. It also prevents career politicians and keeps lobbiest influence (hopefully) to a minimum.

There needs to be a balance between too little turnover and too much. Currently there is too little because the politicians in charge have stacked the deck so much in their favor that the only way many of them leave is in a hearse. California seems to have overshot a bit since from what I see online legislators are limited to 12 total years in the legislature regardless of house. Zakharra's proposal limits them to 12 years in each house with the best legislators being allowed 24 years combined. It seems to balance the two objectives of too much turnover vs too little.

Model Compliance Amendment:

The soonest a law can effect for the majority of the US is two years after signing. Congress cannot exempt any part of the US Government from compliance and for two years the US Congress must provide a model of compliance with the new laws before it takes effect for the rest of the USA.

Campaign finance restrictions:

Only registered voters from the electoral district may contribute. No money from Utah in a California election or from California in a Texas election (egregious examples of both in recent years) and not telling your potential contributors one thing and your voters the exact opposite....

Good ideas ken1511, however there is a problem "Who watches the watchers," a Roman once asked.

Poker

kenl511 wrote:Model Compliance Amendment:

The soonest a law can effect for the majority of the US is two years after signing. Congress cannot exempt any part of the US Government from compliance and for two years the US Congress must provide a model of compliance with the new laws before it takes effect for the rest of the USA.

Campaign finance restrictions:

Only registered voters from the electoral district may contribute. No money from Utah in a California election or from California in a Texas election (egregious examples of both in recent years) and not telling your potential contributors one thing and your voters the exact opposite....