Are constitutional amendments coming?
Far from authorizing more federal power, amendments almost certainly will reduce federal prerogatives and edge us toward decentralization.
How states can work together without the feds
States contemplating interposition usually should act in cooperation with other states. This essay outlines how methods of cooperation work.
Two New Conventions of States Discovered!
This information raises the number of verified conventions of colonies and states to 42. This experience renders absurd the common claim that the . . . details of conventions of states are “unknown.”
The Albany Plan of Union: Another Predecessor to the Constitution
Some of the Plan’s features foreshadowed the Articles of Confederation, some foreshadowed the Constitution, and some foreshadowed both.
Journal now available from the latest Convention of States!
Nineteen states attended, making it the second-largest convention of states in American history by number of states represented.
How a ‘convention of states’ could tweak the Constitution
Representatives 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.” Conventions of states are valuable. They help ensure Washington, DC doesn’t dictate all decisions on every subject. The purpose of the meeting in Phoenix is to plan […]
The last convention of states ever held? It Centered on the Upper Colorado River
“This latest convention of states operated according to standard convention of states protocols.”
Voters shouldn’t be shy about amending the Constitution to bypass Congress
The convention of states process is well-honed, safe, and effective. Americans need to consider carefully whether the Constitution should be amended. But they should not allow disinformation to influence their choice.
The 1889 St. Louis Convention of States
A frequent argument against a convention for proposing constitutional amendments is that there are “no precedents” for determining the rules and procedures for such a gathering, other than the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Although opponents persist in this claim, it has long been debunked: The Constitutional Convention was far from the only meeting of its […]
Simulation Shows What An Amendments Convention Would Be Like
This article was first published by CNSNews. How would an Article V “convention for proposing amendments” work? What would be its agenda? What about its procedures? How would voting be conducted? History and constitutional law provide the answer to most of those questions, but it also helps to have a specific modern example. That is […]
Convention Rules from the “Assembly of State Legislatures:” Two Cheers Only
This posting was updated on Jan. 18, 2023. In June, 2016 the Assembly of State Legislatures (ASL), a planning group of state lawmakers (now apparently defunct), issued suggested rules for an Article V Convention for Proposing Amendments. The rules were a commendable effort. But they also fell short in a number of ways, partly because […]
What is an Amendments Convention “Application?” What is a “Call?”
Article V of the Constitution states that “The Congress . . . on Applications of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments.”
