A more perfect constitution : 23 proposals to revitalize our Constitution and make America a fairer country

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Title:

A more perfect constitution : 23 proposals to revitalize our Constitution and make America a fairer country

Author:

Sabato, Larry.

ISBN:

9780802716217

Edition:

1st U.S. ed.

Publication Information:

New York : Walker & Company : Distributed to the trade by Holtzbrinck Publishers, 2007.

Physical Description:

viii, 342 p. : ill., map ; 24 cm.

Contents:

CREATING A CAPITAL CONGRESS: Reforming the Senate -- Reforming the House -- Congressional term limits: extreme or mainstream -- Balancing the budget: setting the stage for a great convention debate -- Continuity of government: preparing for the unthinkable -- PERFECTING THE PRESIDENCY: The Presidential term of choice -- The 6-yr term -- The alternative: a presidential confirmation election -- A lengthened House term (& changes in the Senate term) -- War-making limits: presidential downsizing -- Item veto -- Fairness to all: making the presidency possible for Americans who are not "natural-born" -- THE NEW COURT: SUPREME BUT NOT ETERNAL: The error of lifetime tenure -- Fixed terms -- Not-so-early retirement -- A balanced bench -- Power of the purse -- POLITICS: AMERICA'S MISSING CONSTITUTIONAL LINK: Of parties, presidential politics, and the quadrennial orgy -- The regional lottery plan for the new constitution -- The electoral college: mend it, don't end it -- Adding some political rules of the game for the 21st century -- A CITIZENSHIP OF SERVICE: ASKING WHAT WE CAN DO FOR OUR COUNTRY . . . AND OURSELVES: An American history of service: military calls and civilian supplements -- The case for Universal National Service (UNS) -- UNS and America's future -- VOX POPULI: WHAT DO THE PEOPLE THINK OF CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE? The caution light blinks steadily -- Dissatisfaction with the status quo -- Look who's talking -- Rasmussen Poll on the proposed new constitution -- CALLING THE 21st CENTURY CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION: The founders' daring and our timidity -- The legal netherworld surrounding a new convention -- Setting the ground rules prior to the convention -- Calling the convention -- After the convention: ratification and its aftermath -- Getting there from here -- The U.S. Constitution and amendments.

Corporate Subject:

United States. Constitution.

Subject Term:

Constitutional law -- United States.

Political participation -- United States.

Constitutional amendments -- United States.

Geographic Term:

United States -- Politics and government -- 21st century.

Summary:

Calls for revisions to the Constitution to restore equity for ordinary citizens and offers proposals to reinvigorate the document to incorporate changes to the structure of Congress, the Electoral College, the Supreme Court, and a mandatory national service.

Holds:

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Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)	342.7302 SAB	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

"No society can make a perpetual constitution, or even a perpetual law. The earth belongs to the living generation."-- Thomas Jefferson

"A constitution intended to endure for years to come [is] consequently to be adapted to the various crises of human affairs."-- John Marshall

"This book will ask readers to set aside their own political loyalties, to look past the current 'values' debates and hot-button issues, to consider this very real possibility: that the failure of the nation to update the Constitution and the structure of government it originally bequeathed to us is at the root of our current political dysfunction."-- Larry Sabato

The political book of the year, from the acclaimed founder and director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia .

Larry Sabato has one of the most visionary and fertile political minds in America. Like so many, he is increasingly alarmed at the growing dysfunction and unfairness of our political system. To solve this, to restore the equity for ordinary citizens that is at the core of our democratic society, we must take a radical step--to revise the Constitution, the document that guides our political process, for until some of its outmoded provisions are reformed, we will only have more of the same.
The original framers fully expected the Constitution to be regularly revised by succeeding generations to reflect the country's changing needs; yet, apart from the ten amendments in the Bill of Rights, it has only been amended 17 times in 220 years, and most of those amendments had minor ramifications. Today, partisan gridlock dominates Washington; 17 percent of voters elect a majority of senators; the presidency has assumed unprecedented and unintended powers; while politicians spend as much time campaigning for office as they do governing; and average Americans feel more and more disconnected from the political process so that half or more don't vote in many elections--all of which would have horrified Jefferson and Madison.

A More Perfect Constitution presents twenty three creative and dynamic proposals to reinvigorate American governance at a time when such change is urgently needed. Combining idealism and pragmatism, and with full respect for the original document, Sabato's thought-provoking ideas range from the length of the president's term in office and the number and terms of Supreme Court justices to the structure of Congress, the vagaries of the antiquated Electoral College, and a compelling call for universal national service--all laced through with the history behind each issue and their potential impact on the lives of ordinary people.
Aware that such changes won't happen easily, Sabato urges us nonetheless to engage in the debate and discussion they will surely engender. As we head towards a presidential election year, no book is more relevant or significant than his.

Author Notes

Dr. Sabato is an election analyst, a former Rhodes Scholar & Danforth fellow. He has appeared on dozens of nationally broadcast television shows, including "Nightline", "Face the Nation", "The Today Show", "Good Morning America", "48 Hours", "Larry King Live", & the "Jim Lehrer News Hour". He has served on many national & state commissions & is the recipient of more than two dozen major scholarships, grants & academic awards.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (4)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Sabato, founder of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, ventures bravely into the controversial waters of constitutional reform. Sabato argues that the founders never intended the Constitution to be timeless, but rather understood that "government structures, ossified by constitutional neglect [can] become fundamentally unfair and tilted to those already in power." Sabato's reforms are consistent with the values he believes underpin the Constitution-fairness, idealism, pragmatism and focus on the needs of the present and the future-while attempting to mitigate social inequities. His lucid if unorthodox suggestions include a single six-year presidential term that could be extended another two years by referendum; limiting federal and Supreme Court justices to a 15-year term; a larger House of Representatives that would, among other benefits, allow for greater diversity in Congress. His reforms encompass the entire citizenry, who would be required to perform two years of national civilian or military service in what he calls a "Bill of Responsibilities." While there's room for skepticism and unintended consequences in some of his suggestions, Sabato makes strong, cogent arguments. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Booklist Review

Sabato, founder of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, takes on the most sacred of American political cows, the U.S. Constitution. Noting that the Constitution has been amended only 17 times in 220 years, Sabato argues for the need for revision, not radical change, to reflect the needs of a nation that has changed substantially since the Founding Fathers pondered our system of government. Indeed, Sabato argues that the framers fully intended for the Constitution to be revised to insure its basic principles. Among Sabato's suggestions are to increase the number of senators and house members; to modify their terms of office, and codify term limits; to change the term of office for the presidency to one 6-year term, subject to referendum for an additional 2 years; to increase the number of Supreme Court jurists from 9 to 12, changing their terms from lifelong to one 15-year term; and to create a regional lottery system in scheduling party nominations to offset the front-loading of primaries. Sabato's thought-provoking book provides insights for an important debate.--Ford, Vernon Copyright 2007 Booklist

School Library Journal Review

Adult/High School-The author has considerable respect for the Founding Fathers and makes level-headed, convincing arguments that they fully expected the Constitution to undergo revisions periodically. He leaves the Bill of Rights untouched in his proposals for change and focuses on the structure of government: Congress, the Presidency, and the Supreme Court. The Senate, for example, would be more representative by granting the 10 most populous states two more senators, and the next 15 one additional senator each. Sabato also proposes that the Constitution should have a "Bill of Responsibilities"-a national service requirement (think Peace Corps, VISTA, AmeriCorps). Back matter includes the full text of the document. Extensive chapter notes are awkward to follow due to the use of sometimes lengthy Roman numerals. The issues presented here will make for exciting discussions and debates in social studies classes.-Paula Dacker, Charter Oak High School, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Library Journal Review

A familiar talking head on TV, Sabato (founder, Ctr. for Politics, Univ. of Virginia; The Sixth Year Itch: The Rise and Fall of George W. Bush's Presidency) doesn't actually propose anything that hasn't already been suggested to improve the Constitution: ex-presidents should get senate seats for life, judges should not have terms for life, mandatory national service should be revived, etc. Of course, the chances of any of these ever being voted on by Congress, let alone ratified by the states, is nil, yet they are all interesting and well conveyed here. This is food for thought deserving a place in public libraries. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Preamble	p. 1
Chapter 1 Creating a Capital Congress	p. 19
Reforming the Senate	p. 23
Reforming the House	p. 32
Congressional Term Limits: Extreme or Mainstream?	p. 41
Balancing the Budget: Setting the Stage for a Great Convention Debate	p. 54
Continuity of Government: Preparing for the Unthinkable	p. 69
Chapter 2 Perfecting the Presidency	p. 76
The Presidential Term of Choice	p. 80
The Six-Year Term	p. 84
The Alternative: A Presidential Confirmation Election	p. 87
A Lengthened House Term (and Changes in the Senate Term)	p. 93
War-Making Limits: Presidential Downsizing	p. 97
Item Veto	p. 101
Fairness for All: Making the Presidency Possible for Americans Who Are Not "Natural-Born"	p. 104
Chapter 3 The New Courts: Supreme But Not Eternal	p. 108
The Error of Lifetime Tenure	p. 110
Fixed Terms	p. 115
Not-So-Early Retirement	p. 116
A Balanced Bench	p. 117
Power of the Purse	p. 118
Chapter 4 Politics: America's Missing Constitutional Link	p. 121
Of Parties, Presidential Politics, and the Quadrennial Orgy	p. 123
The Regional Lottery Plan for the New Constitution	p. 131
The Electoral College: Mend It, Don't End It	p. 134
Adding Some Political Rules of the Game for the Twenty-first Century	p. 152
Chapter 5 A Citizenship of Service: Asking What We Can Do for Our Country...and Ourselves	p. 154
An American History of Service: Military Calls and Civilian Supplements	p. 157
The Case for Universal National Service (UNS)	p. 166
Universal National Service and America's Future	p. 176
Chapter 6 Vox Populi: What Do the People Think of Constitutional Change?	p. 179
The Caution Light Blinks Steadily	p. 181
Dissatisfaction with the Status Quo	p. 183
Look Who's Talking	p. 186
Appendix Rasmussen Poll on the Proposed New Constitution	p. 190
Chapter 7 Calling the Twenty-First-Century Constitutional Convention	p. 198
The Founders' Daring-and Our Timidity	p. 199
The Legal Netherworld Surrounding a New Convention	p. 202
Setting the Ground Rules Prior to the Convention	p. 205
Calling the Convention	p. 211
After the Convention: Ratification and Its Aftermath	p. 216
Conclusion: Getting There from Here	p. 221
Appendix United States Constitution and Amendments	p. 233
Acknowledgments	p. 257
Notes	p. 259
Selected Bibliography	p. 323
Index	p. 331

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Reviews (4)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Booklist Review

School Library Journal Review

Library Journal Review

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