Dozens of state legislatures will meet in the next few months to discuss the Convention of States resolution, and, as Prof. Rob Natelson explains in the excerpt below, we've never needed federal reforms more than we do now.
Most Americans agree the federal government needs an overhaul. For one thing, Congress has proved unable to balance its budget. Although we all recognize that deficits sometimes are necessary, Congress no longer balances its budget ever. Year after year, in prosperity or recession, war or peace, the public debt grows and grows.
In addition, the federal bureaucracy has trespassed into areas where it does more harm than good. And although our Constitution was designed for a system of citizen-politicians, we are now governed largely by a privileged political class. Sometimes members of this class even pass down their positions to their spouses and children.
The Convention of States resolution seeks to solve this dysfunction by proposing constitutional amendments in three subject areas: fiscal restraints on Congress, term limits for federal officials, and limitations on the power and jurisdiction of the federal government.
For those who believe the Constitution does not need to be amended, Prof. Natelson pointed out that this view goes against both the Founders and the history of our nation.
The American founders accurately foresaw that amendments could be powerful tools for good. Through the amendment process, we adopted the Bill of Rights, abolished slavery, ensured women could vote, and limited the president to two terms. The founders provided the convention method so the people could respond if the federal government ever became abusive or dysfunctional. This procedure is an important constitutional right.
So what are you waiting for? Help your state exercise its constitutional right to check the power of the federal government. Sign the Convention of States Petition today!
