Constitutional Amendment Brainstorming

At the conconcon.org conference we just had a good workshop on left-right organizing. Some asked that this list be posted where they could find it.  This was produced by 3 people, no one of whom necessarily agrees with all the proposals in it:

The individual national right to vote with automatic registration, and with votes publicly and transparently counted at each polling place.

A ban on gerrymandering.

A ban on the revolving door of politician-lobbyist.

A ban on reductions of Congress to super committees.

Term limits.

A limited election season.

The right to a reasonable ability to place any qualified name on a ballot.

Elimination of the electoral college.

Clean public financing of electoral campaigns.

Free media for electoral campaigns.

A ban on media monopolies.

Enlargement of the House.

Elimination of the Senate.

Limited power and terms for Supreme Court justices, and more of them.

Legislation by initiative.

A ban on legislation by presidential decree or signing statement, Justice Department memo, or any process other than the open and transparent passed of laws or ratification of treaties by Congress.

A balanced budget.

A requirement that laws be equally enforced against the powerful and the wealthy, and a ban on the granting of retroactive immunity that disproportionately benefits the powerful and the wealthy.

A ban on vice presidents exercising executive, as opposed to legislative, power.

A ban on the stationing of US military forces outside the United States or the use of outerspace for military purposes.

A limit on military spending to no more than twice that of the next highest spending nation on earth.

A ban on private military contactors.

A ban on secret budgets, secret agencies, and secret operations.

A ban on usury.

The right to comprehensive top quality health coverage.

The right to comprehensive top quality education.

The right to a secure retirement.

The right to a healthy and sustainable environment.

Restore habeas corpus
Restore ban on warrentless search and seizure
Restore ban on torture
Restore right to a speedy and public trial

Establishing municipal home rule as a floor, and not a ceiling, for environmental, human rights, and labor rights standards

People power over war amendment (aka Ludlow) requiring a national vote authorizing warmaking

Reestablishing the National Guard/U.S. militia as primary in national defense

A right to have your vote count (PR, IRV, etc)

Participation rights on the job

Regular constitutional conventions (every 20-30 years)

Direct election of the President

Replacement of presidential system with parliamentary system

Direct election of a federal constitutional court through publicly financed elections

Creation of a national direct legislation (aka initiative) process

End filibuster

Balanced Budget Amendment

Ban on Executive Authority to send US forces into combat without congressional declaration of war.

Amendment capping federal spending at a certain percentage of GDP

End the congressional pension system

Allow workers to opt out of social security by letting them invest what they put into payroll taxes

Require all corporations to offer their employees the equivalent in cash for what the corporation pays for that individual worker’s healthcare.  Workers can then buy their own healthcare plans.

Loser pays court costs tort reform

The right  to civil unions

The right to religious expression in public places

Legalize marijuana

Secure the Mexican border which in turn triggers a path to citizenship for illegals

School choice including full vouchers (amount currently spent per child on public ed.)  to all parents with school age children

School choice including full vouchers (amount currently spent per child on public ed.) to all parents with school age children in chronically underperforming school districts.

The Pickens Plan (convert the US auto industry to nat. gas, build wind farms on the Plains to generate electricity)

Enact an oil import tariff

Convert income tax to a consumption tax; rebates given to low income people to promote progressivity. 

 

 

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