No system of governance lasts forever. As societies evolve, so do the rules and regulations that govern its citizens. The effects of such changes range significantly, yielding both positive and negative impacts. Regrettably, legislation that proves detrimental to society is seldom modified or repealed. The burden of accumulated poor policy, compounded over time, diminishes the vitality of the nation, reducing it to a state of languor and impotence. History shows that no government survives the proverbial ‘death by a thousand cuts.
The United States will, inevitably, succumb to this fate too. Economically unsound policy coupled with crony capitalism has weakened the foundations of its past dominance. Undeniably, the desire for political and economic freedom from which our nation was born spurred centuries of rapidly accelerating prosperity for its citizens. Alongside this economic boom occurred pioneering changes in social acceptance and behavior. And yet, over the last few decades, the fate of the United States’ status has come into question.
I believe the time to consider a revised and updated constitution may not be far off. Thomas Jefferson, in the Declaration of Independence, said it best:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Even in today’s rapidly evolving world, these words are as meaningful as they were when they were written in 1776 (for clarity, every instance of “men” should be converted to “men and women”). Jefferson asserts that when a government becomes ineffectual in protecting the rights of the governed, it is the responsibility of the people to establish a new government. The crisis may not be imminent, but it may behoove us to contemplate how to alleviate the inevitable political strife. For this, we turn to the Constitution of the United States, which remains the greatest document on the formation of government ever conceived. It must be scrutinized through a modern lens so we can restore the United States to all its glory.
In the remainder of this series, I will highlight how I believe the Constitution can be modified to preserve positive advancements made in the last 250 years while correcting damaging oversights and ill-conceived amendments. The goal is to restore economic and political freedom without sacrificing any social progress since the original draft. Central to my arguments is the idea that the federal government, having limited yet vital powers, should function primarily to enable maximum evolution of society while protecting the rights of individuals.
It’s important to note that some sections of the Constitution have already been revised since their inception, such as the repeal of the three-fifths clause in Section 2 of Article 1 by the Fourteenth Amendment. These are beneficial changes, and since the original issues have been addressed, I won’t focus on them. My intent is to discuss the Articles and Amendments in broader terms, steering clear of overly pedantic or superfluous details that could detract from the key themes.
