A Decade of Convention of States - Celebrating 10 Years of Grassroots Change

More than two centuries after George Mason’s auspicious addition to Article V was unanimously adopted by the Constitutional Convention, the government under that constitution seemed to be degrading into exactly what Mason feared it would become: “a corrupt, tyrannical aristocracy.”

In 2009, frustration at the federal government reached a fever pitch. Over time, Washington had increasingly disregarded the constitutional constraints that were meant to define its authority, intruding into the lives of countless Americans. Sick and tired of the overreach, these everyday citizens were ready to make their voices heard, and in February 2009, they participated in a nationwide string of protests.

Unexpectedly, a politically unseasoned attorney, Mark Meckler found himself at the heart of this unfolding narrative. Attending his inaugural political event in Sacramento, California, Meckler's encounter with the swelling tide of dissatisfaction gave rise to an unexpected outcome—he emerged as an unforeseen leader of what would later be christened the Tea Party movement. The movement's rapid proliferation across the nation was fueled by the widespread disillusionment with Washington's actions. In a brief span of under two years, it transformed into a formidable political entity, casting a palpable shadow over the federal government's established authority.

Or, at least so it seemed.

The Tea Party had its crescendo in late 2010, electing Tea Party-affiliated candidates to Congress en masse. The stunning wave was hailed as the long-awaited cure to federal overreach.

There was just one problem: nothing happened. Despite massive gains in political representation, nothing changed. Well-intentioned candidates assimilated into a broken system, and the federal government continued to grow apace. Needless to say, it left grassroots voters feeling disenfranchised.

Mark Meckler would eventually learn from Michael Farris that no matter how many good people the Tea Party elected to Congress, they would be ineffectual in a fundamentally broken system. The solution, therefore, was
not just to send good people to Washington. The solution was to fix Washington.

Collaboratively, Meckler and Farris tapped into the wisdom of George Mason, utilizing Article V’s dormant clause to formulate a new and improved plan for reining in the federal government. Washington D.C. would never curb its own power, they realized. If Americans wanted to fundamentally fix a broken structure of governance, they would need a force outside of Washington; they would need an Article V convention.

The new organization launched in August 2013. Miraculously, its founding closely coincided with the release of Mark Levin’s seminal work The Liberty Amendments, in which he rallied for states to leverage Article V as a weapon against federal tyranny. Remarkably, neither party was initially aware of the other's initiatives.

“I undertook this project,” Mark Levin described, “not because I believe the Constitution, as originally structured, is outdated and outmoded, thereby requiring modernization through amendments, but because of the opposite–that is, the necessity and urgency of restoring constitutional republicanism and preserving the civil society from the growing authoritarianism of a federal Leviathan.”

Over the past decade, these words have remained the lodestar for the COS movement. While the Convention of States solution may not have offered the instant remedy of the Tea Party, it aspires to a far more profound objective. Its scope surpasses the mere pursuit of electing constitutional republicans; rather, it centers on the substantial restoration of constitutional republicanism itself.

In ten years, we have forged a grassroots army more formidable than any in history. We have repopularized self-governance; reclaimed activism; passed the Convention of States resolution in 19 states; and amassed millions of followers and supporters. Just in time to celebrate our anniversary, we surpassed 2.5 million petition signers.

Much like the Tea Party movement that once filled a void in the American political landscape, Convention of States’ outstanding success has proven that the American people are hungry for answers, hope, and a path forward. In a time where most political maladies are met with nothing more than talking heads’ useless talking points and complaints, a movement centered around a solution—as Mark Levin puts it, a solution as big as the problem—is a welcome and imperative alternative.

The grassroots army will no longer tolerate apathy; they have unequivocally renounced passivity. The American people refuse to sign the fate of this great nation over to our failed federal government. They are reclaiming their country, and a decade of COS history attests to their steadfast resolve. Convention of States remains unwaveringly committed to this cause until the final victory is secured.

The first-ever Article V convention promises to be so groundbreaking—so revolutionary—future historians very well may remember these past ten years as the “Article V Era.” They will trace how we laid the groundwork for the most important political event in the history of the Republic. They will study the process that took the words of Article V and elevated them into a resounding call to action. And above all, they will recognize how, when the nation stood at the crossroads of crisis, Convention of States rose to the challenge, safeguarding the flame of liberty.

That’s our legacy—and it’s only just beginning.