A More Perfect Constitution

Infobox Book
name = A More Perfect Constitution


image_caption = The cover of "A More Perfect Constitution", written by Larry J. Sabato.
author =Larry Sabato
country = United States
language = English
genre = Nonfiction
publisher = flagicon|USA Walker & Company
release_date = October 2, 2007
media_type = Print (Hardback)
pages = 352

"A More Perfect Constitution" is the latest book from American political scientist Larry J. Sabato. In it, Sabato calls for a new constitutional convention to update the United States Constitution. Sabato draws on his three decades of experience as a political analyst in proposing this radical step, making reference to historical and political events as he makes his case. He draws his idea of revision from the founding fathers, who felt that the Constitution should not last forever but should instead be revised by each generation.Fact|date=October 2007

Sabato notes that, after the Bill of Rights, there have only been 17 Constitutional amendments over the past 220 years and makes the argument that a Constitutional convention is overdue.

The 23 Proposals

Sabato's 23 proposals run the gamut from changing the length of the president's term in office and the number and terms of Supreme Court justices to the structure of Congress, fixing the Electoral College, and universal national service.

"Congress"

* Expand the Senate to 136 members to be more representative: Grant the 10 most populous states 2 additional Senators, the 15 next most populous states 1 additional Senator, and the District of Columbia 1 Senator.

* Appoint all former Presidents and Vice Presidents to the new office of “National Senator.”

* Mandate non-partisan redistricting for House elections to enhance electoral competition.

* Lengthen House terms to 3 years (from 2) and set Senate terms to coincide with all Presidential elections, so the entire House and Senate would be elected at the same time as the President.

* Expand the size of the House to approximately 1,000 members (from current 435), so House members can be closer to their constituents, and to level the playing field in House elections.

* Establish term limits in the House and Senate to restore the Founders’ principle of frequent rotation in office.

* Add a Balanced Budget Amendment to encourage fiscal fairness to future generations.

* Create a Continuity of Government procedure to provide for replacement Senators and Congresspeople in the event of extensive deaths or incapacitation.

"Presidency"

* Establish a new 6-year, 1-time Presidential term with the option for the President to seek 2 additional years in an up/down referendum of the American people.

* Limit some Presidential war-making powers and expand Congress’s oversight of war-making.

* Give the President a line-item veto.

* Allow men and women not born in the U.S. to run for President or Vice President after having been a citizen for 20 years.

"Supreme Court"

* Eliminate lifetime tenure for federal judges in favor of non-renewable 15-year terms for all federal judges.

* Grant Congress the power to set a mandatory retirement age for all federal judges.

* Expand the size of the Supreme Court from 9 to 12 to be more representative.

* Give federal judges guaranteed cost of living increases so pay is never an issue.

"Politics"

* Write a new constitutional article specifically for the politics of the American system.

* Adopt a regional, staggered lottery system, over 4 months, for Presidential party nominations to avoid the destructive front-loading of primaries.

* Mend the Electoral College by granting more populated states additional electors, to preserve the benefits of the College while minimizing the chances a President will win without a majority of the popular vote.

* Reform campaign financing by preventing wealthy candidates from financing their campaigns, and by mandating partial public financing for House and Senate campaigns.

* Adopt an automatic registration system for all qualified American citizens to guarantee their right to vote is not abridged by bureaucratic requirements.

"Universal National Service"

* Create a Constitutional requirement that all able-bodied young Americans devote at least 2 years of their lives in service to the country.

"National Constitutional Convention"

* Convene a new Constitutional Convention using the state-based mechanism left to us by the Framers in the current Constitution.

External links

* [http://www.amazon.com/dp/0802716210 Amazon.com listing]

* [http://www.AMorePerfectConstitution.com Official site of the book]