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Although only 27 amendments have ever been added to the U.S. Constitution, the last one having been ratified in 1992, throughout American history, members of Congress have introduced more than 11,000 amendments, and countless individuals outside of Congress have advanced their own proposals to revise the Constitution-the wellspring of America's legal, political, and cultural foundations. At a time when calls for a new constitutional convention are on the rise, it is essential for students of political science and history as well as American citizens to understand proposed alternatives. Th

The U.S. Constitution was carefully written by a remarkable group of men, but subsequent generations of Americans have devoted enormous time and energy to ""improving"" it. From colonial times to the present day, Americans of all political persuasions have campaigned to reform, remake, or replace this key document. The growth of the Internet and self-publishing has spawned a virtual explosion of such proposals. This book documents the numerous ideas for change-some practical, some idealistic, and some bordering on fanatical-that reflect America's Constitutional heritage and could shape the na

Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- Preface to the Seventh Edition -- Acknowledgments -- Chapter 1. The Background and Purposes of the Constitution -- The Colonial Setting -- The Declaration of Independence -- The Background of the Declaration -- The Purpose of the Document -- The Idea of Equality of Human Rights -- The Purpose of Government -- The Right of Revolution -- Charges against the English King -- Indictments against the King and the Parliament -- War Atrocities and Slavery -- Recapitulation of Earlier Petitions -- Conclusion -- The Articles of Confederation -- The Background -- The Principles and Structures -- The Achievements and Problems -- Prelude to The Constitutional Convention -- The Constitutional Convention -- The Delegates -- The Rules -- The Virginia Plan -- The New Jersey Plan -- Prominent Convention Issues and Compromises -- Ratification of The Constitution -- The Preamble -- The Purposes of the Constitution -- Summary -- For Reflection and Discussion -- References and Suggestions For Further Study -- Chapter 2. Article I: The Legislative Branch -- The Outline of The Constitution and Separation of Powers -- The Priority of the Legislative Branch -- Bicameralism -- The U.S. House of Representatives -- Terms of Office and Qualifications for Voters -- Qualifications for the House -- Representation and Taxation -- The Three-Fifths Clause -- U.S. Census -- Initial State Representation -- House Vacancies -- The Speaker of the House -- The Power of Impeachment -- The U.S. Senate -- Representation, Voting, and Terms -- Staggered Senate Terms and Vacancies -- Qualifications for the Senate -- The Legislative Role of the Vice President -- Other Senate Officers -- Trials of Impeachment -- The Consequences of Impeachment -- Other Matters Involving Congressional Operations -- Elections for Congress.

"Analysis of Founding Father George Mason's political writings and thought by a leading Constitutional history scholar, John R. Vile. Mason is primarily known for his refusal to sign the Constitution. His writings examined here, including substantial portions of the Fairfax Resolves of 1774, the Virginia Declaration of Rights of 1776, and his Objections to this Constitution of Government (1787) in opposition to ratification, have exercised a significant influence on American political thought and events. The Virginia Declaration of Rights, which Mason principally authored, served as a basis for the United States Bill of Rights, of which he has been deemed the father"--

"Article V of the Constitution allows two-thirds majorities of both houses of Congress to propose amendments to the document and a three-fourths majority of the states to ratify them. Scholars and frustrated advocates of constitutional change have often criticized this process for being too difficult. Despite this, state legislatures have yet to use the other primary method that Article V outlines for proposing amendments: it permits two-thirds of the state legislatures to petition Congress to call a convention to propose amendments that, like those proposed by Congress, must be ratified by three-fourths of the states. In this book, John R. Vile surveys more than two centuries of scholarship on Article V and concludes that the weight of the evidence (including a much-overlooked Federalist essay) indicates that states and Congress have the legal right to limit the scope of such conventions to a single subject and that political considerations would make a runaway convention unlikely. Charting a prudent course between those who fail to differentiate revolutionary change from constitutional change, those who fear ever using the Article V convention mechanism that the Framers clearly envisioned, and those who would vest total control of the convention in Congress, the states, or the convention itself, Vile's work will enhance modern debates on the subject." -- Back cover