Rewriting the Constitution

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Rewriting the Constitution

Any change to our governmental processes should retain as much of the good stuff as possible. It should be based on as much wisdom as possible, including “James Madison’s genius.” But it should also include innovations since James Madison, from other American scholars and from other nations’ experiences in government and civil society. It is good to admire the American founders. But it is foolish to think that nothing new has been learned since their day or that nothing better is possible today.

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The Constitution versus the "constitution"

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The Constitution versus the "constitution"

Reading the Constitution tells you how the United States is governed to about the same extent as reading a recipe tells you what food tastes like. The Constitution, from the very beginning, has been mute about important issues. And wherever the Constitution has not set clear and definite parameters, people in power have taken opportunity to work the nation’s practices to their advantage.

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Cows in the Corn

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Cows in the Corn

Cows ought to stay in their pasture. Good fences are the best way of keeping them there. The farmer who makes excuses instead of keeping his fences up is a bad neighbor.

Politicians ought to respect citizens’ rights and provide good government for all. An effective constitution is the means of making them do that. The people who make excuses for an ineffectual constitution are bad citizens.

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