If You Could Rewrite the US Constitution

[Admiral Yi]

Get rid of the 2nd Amendment.

Get rid of the Senate.  I wouldn't mind all that much going to a Westminster style parliament, but as a compromise keep the executive and the legislature separate.  They, along with the courts, are enough of a check on unbridled power

In the event of a budget impasse, last year's budget is carried over.  No more shut downs.

Only allow deficit spending during declared wars, economic contractions, or health crises.

What would you do?

[mongers]

Get rid of the 2nd Amendment.

Get rid of the Senate.  I wouldn't mind all that much going to a Westminster style parliament, but as a compromise keep the executive and the legislature separate.  They, along with the courts, are enough of a check on unbridled power

In the event of a budget impasse, last year's budget is carried over.  No more shut downs.

Only allow deficit spending during declared wars, economic contractions, or health crises.

What would you do?

Cut and paste across most of the West* German constitution, with appropriate modifications for the states and you guys being all but a continent etc.


* I'd guess the current German constituion is largely unchanged from this one given the nature of the reunification.

[Monoriu]

Get rid of Electoral College.

The way judges are appointed should be less political.  Get rid of Senate confirmation of judge appointments. 

[Barrister]

Westminster-style House and Prime Minister.  So no President, no Cabinet nomination fights.  First Past the Post, naturally.

Senate as it stands, but restricted ability to delay money bills, little input on judicial appointments.

No Bill of Rights.

Yes, I just described my ideal Canadian Constitution - why do you ask?

[DGuller]

Germany seems to have figured out how to do the democracy thing, after that period of unpleasantness eight decades ago.  Maybe use them as the starting point.  They even seemed to handle absorbing a whole other country with a different ideology, so that probably speaks good things about its ability to handle potentially zero-sum conflicts.

[grumbler]

Senate elected by proportional voting nationwide and confirms appointments as present.  Unicameral legislatures are bad, lack of confirmation procedures is bad.

House and Senate make the rules for House and Senate election procedures.  States can tag along if they wish.

Add something to Second Amendment to make it clear that it refers to well-regulated militias (i.e. the National Guard).

Only appoint literate judges to the Supreme Court.  Limit terms to single ten-year term.  Maximum age of seventy.

In fact, maximum age of seventy for all elected and appointed positions.  People can serve partial terms until age seventy.

Budgets must be balanced.  Deficit spending must be by separate legislation for specific purposes.

No naming of bills. 

President may not fire heads of independent agencies.  Justice department made an independent agency.  Heads of independent agencies may be impeached.

President elected by STV.  Vice-president elected when president on the same ticket is elected.

Probably some other things.

[PDH]

Kill off 99% of the people.
Break the population into foraging groups of no more than 30.
No technology over the neolithic for a period of 10,000 years.
Totemic worship of healing goddess.

That should be enough reform.

[Eddie Teach]

I would ditch the 18th amendment.

[11B4V]

Not a thing

[The Minsky Moment]

Get rid of the natural born citizenship requirement for the presidency.  Any US citizen can run.  Except for New York real estate moguls.  No point in getting rid of Trump just to bring in Larry Silverstein or one of the Macklowes.

[The Minsky Moment]

No naming of bills. 

i like this one.  We can call it the Getting Rid of Unsightly Monikers for Bills and Legislative Eponym Reform amendment.

[celedhring]

The naming of bills is among my favorite things of the American Constitutional order. 

Move to proportional elections to avoid all the gerrymandering nastiness and possibly allow the fragmentation of the two larger parties in 3-4 parties.

[The Brain]

I would move all points from Charisma to it.

[Eddie Teach]

Charisma is better, we can take the credit while higher constitution nations take most of the beating.

[Hamilcar]

Just copy the one of a well-functioning European country. Take your pick, doesn't matter too much.