A new COTUS?

Do you agree with these changes?
What additional ones would you add?



If you're given 7 days to come up with a new constitution for a modern U.S., what would it sound like?


William Zhukovsky, Lawyer, Amateur Historian, Baseball Fan
Answered Sep 1


It would be the same Constitution that we have with a few changes. Most notably would be

1. Clarification to the rule on removal of president from office. Instead of the current phrase “for high crimes and misdemeanors”, the language would make it clear that the grounds for impeachment have to be actual criminal acts which would be felonies or misdemeanors that are part of the United States Code. As it stands now, there is a theory that impeachment can happen on a whim and dislike of the president by the House of Representatives.
2. Term limits. Six terms in House of Representative and two terms in the Senate. Makes it a max that someone could be on Capital Hill for 24 years.
3. Personal privacy. There needs to be guarantee of personal privacy to prevent the government from creating databases of information about individuals. I don’t know how to write it. I just know that I am distinctly uncomfortable with government getting access to genetic information, effectively performing dragnets of genetic registries.
4. Repeal the 17th Amendment. State legislatures should choose the senators. I think it was a mistake to pass the 17th in the fear place.
5. 2nd Amendment becomes “The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”
6. Fourteenth Amendment gets modified to include sexual orientation.
7. Abortion. I personally hate it. However, I recognize that banning it also represents an intrusion into the the affairs of the individual. At the same time, there is no one to speak for the baby. No matter what I say, no one will be happy. So my solution is that the federal government may make no law about abortion, and may not directly fund abortion. The federal government may not prohibit transit in interstate commerce of people who voluntarily cross state lines to have one. Federal government may prohibit involuntary crossing of state lines for an abortion (eg father trying to force daughter to have abortion, sex trafficker taking a woman across state lines for an abortion to keep prostituting her) If a state chooses to use a block grant to pay for abortion, they may do so. It is something for the states to regulate.

I’m keeping birthright citizenship. I’m not messing around with some other things that people don’t like. the electoral college remains as is.

 

I would make that 25 years -- age 85 (whichever comes first)

fully agree

agree (but seems like there should be some exception)

Not necessiarly popular vote - Two states split the vote by congressional district. Or I would support proportional representation

But we do legislate morality - last I check - it's against the law to shoot someone.

I support the Automatic Electron Tax.

Got to be careful on then

But who determines "common sense laws" Some would say that only police should have a weapon - and that would be reasonable

10. Universal "Castle Rule" allowing residents to use what force is necessary to defend a home, business, family, or friends against any intruder(s)[/QUOTE]