Constitutional Convention
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ConstitutionFeatured
How a ‘Convention of States’ Could Tweak the Constitution
by Rob Natelson September 11, 2017Representatives of state legislatures from across the nation will converge in Phoenix, Arizona on Sept. 12 to participate in a traditional American institution called a “convention of states.”
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In ancient mythology, the phoenix was a symbol of rebirth. As its former life came to an end in a show of flames and spontaneous combustion, a newer, even better life was born from the ashes of its predecessor.
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ConstitutionGovernment
How We Know a National Amendments Convention Is a ‘Convention of the States’
by Rob Natelson May 30, 2017Most state legislatures have filed applications with Congress demanding a national convention for proposing constitutional amendments. Americans are asking just what kind of convention the Constitution requires.
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Government
Scalia Probably Favored An Amendment Convention — But Does It Matter?
by Rob Natelson April 20, 2017Was Scalia inconsistent? Did he change his mind after he became part of the government?
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Politics
Is the 1787 U.S. Constitution Political Science’s Greatest Gift?
by Nancy Thorner April 7, 2017What did the American Founders actually intend for the country and does it even matter today?
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ConstitutionGovernment
Voters Shouldn’t Be Shy About Amending the Constitution to Bypass Congress
by Rob Natelson April 4, 2017Convinced that Congress is unlikely to cure federal dysfunction, most state legislatures have triggered the Constitution’s most important reform mechanism: They have applied for what the Constitution calls “a convention for proposing amendments.”
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GovernmentLegal AffairsLiberty
The President and the Purposes of the Foreign Emoluments Clause (Part I)
by Michael Stern March 15, 2017I promised to return to the subject of the Foreign Emoluments Clause and so today I will start a series of posts on the purposes of that Clause and whether…
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GovernmentLegal AffairsLibertyUncategorized
How the Hamilton Electors Show that an Article V Convention Cannot Run Away
by Michael Stern March 9, 2017Back in 2011, I wrote a law review article discussing concerns that a limited convention for proposing amendments called under Article V could propose one or more amendments outside the…
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GovernmentLegal AffairsLiberty
Still More on Article V Justiciability: Idaho v. Freeman
by Michael Stern March 7, 2017The second important district court opinion on the justiciability of Article V claims is Idaho v. Freeman, 529 F.Supp. 1107 (D. Idaho 1981), judgment stayed sub nom. Natl Org. of…
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GovernmentLegal AffairsLiberty
More on Article V Justiciability: Dyer v. Blair
by Michael Stern March 6, 2017In my last post on the justiciability of Article V cases, we discussed the Supreme Court’s 1939 decision in Coleman v. Miller and whether that decision would be applied broadly…
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Budgets/TaxesFeaturedGovernment
Convention Offers Path to Reform
by Jesse Hathaway November 30, 2016Control of the White House is shifting from the hands of President Barack Obama to celebrity television personality Donald Trump, potentially bringing huge reforms to the way the federal government does business.
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Government
What Should You Remember When Drafting a Constitutional Amendment?
by Rob Natelson October 17, 2016Here are some last-minute tips on drafting proposed constitutional amendments.