Think Americans can’t agree on anything anymore?
Actually, a group of progressive, conservative, and libertarian legal scholars recently agreed on 5 changes we should make to the U.S. Constitution.i
#1: Place term limits on Supreme Court justices.
The proposal would limit justices to 18 years on the bench, allowing each president to pick 2 new members of the Court per term.ii
#2: Make it easier to amend the Constitution.
The U.S. Constitution has only been amended once in the last 50 years.iii Part of the reason: because any change requires agreement by 2/3 of Congress and 3/4 of states. The new proposal would lower that to 3/5 of Congress and 2/3 of states.iv
#3: Give Congress more power to check the White House.
The amendment would let a simple majority of Congress override rules from the executive branch, a tool the scholars argue is necessary as the presidency has grown ever more powerful.v
#4: Rethink impeachment.
The scholars argued it’s too easy to bring impeachment charges for partisan reasons, but too hard to convict for actual wrongdoing. So, they agreed to raise the number of representatives needed to bring impeachment charges, but to lower the number of senators it takes to secure a conviction.vi
#5: Allow naturalized citizens to become president.vii
Which comes a little too late for Arnold Schwarzenegger, but … Keanu for President?
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- A group of conservative, progressive, and libertarian legal scholars recently agreed on 5 proposed constitutional amendments.
- One proposal would limit Supreme Court justices to 18 years on the bench.
- Another proposed amendment would give Congress the power to override actions by the executive branch.
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