Robert Dahl, the late Yale Professor of Political Science proposed five criteria that all good democratic constitutions possess:
- Maintains Democracy
- Protects Rights
- Ensures Fairness
- Encourages Consensus
- Promotes Effective Problem Solving
Below are links to eleven hypothetical amendments, that we believe attain those goals. Just as the first 10 amendments to the Constitution were named the Bill of Rights, these 11 amendments are aptly named the Democracy Bill of Rights because their aim is to preserve and strengthen American Democracy for generations to come.
The Amendments Table of Contents
- Amendment 1: Amendment Passage Reform
- Amendment 2: Electoral College
- Amendment 3: Voting Rights
- Amendment 4: Deliberative Democracy
- Amendment 5: Term Limits
- Amendment 6: Gerrymandering
- Amendment 7: Supreme Court Reform
- Amendment 8: Campaign Finance Reform
- Amendment 9: Senate Reform
- Amendment 10: Expedited Law Passage Procedures
- Amendment 11: Presidential Immunity
The purpose of this organization is to initiate the process of amending or replacing our Constitution to ensure the protection of democracy. Below is a list of proposed amendments to achieve this goal. As you read, don’t worry about the “how.” Our Constitution is the oldest and most difficult to amend, which contributes to our current problems. The “how” will come in time.
Globally, constitutions are amended and rewritten frequently, but change requires a catalyst. It happens in response to threats or crises that motivate action. Eventually, a breaking point will occur. The goal of the Democracy Bill of Rights is to have these democratic rights clearly defined and ready before that moment arrives.
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