We the People

The Constitution Drafting Project: A Discussion of Five New Amendments

Feb 9, 2024

Panelists discuss the Constitution Drafting Project and the agreement on five amendments. They highlight the importance of civil discourse, proposed amendments, and the significance of protecting individual rights. The discussion includes debates over the citizenship requirement for President, principles for amending the Constitution, removing incompetent members from government, term limits for Supreme Court justices, interpretations and goals of the Declaration, and expressing gratitude for the project's commitment to civil dialogue and the Constitution's ideals.

56:51

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The drafters of the proposed amendments focused on structural reforms such as amending the amendment process, reinvigorating Congress through a legislative veto, and implementing term limits for Supreme Court justices.

The process of drafting the amendments showcased the potential for civil discourse and constitutional agreement amidst political polarization, emphasizing the importance of cross-partisan dialogue.

The drafters drew inspiration from the principles of the Declaration of Independence, highlighting the significance of concepts like liberty, equality, and consent of the governed in shaping the proposed amendments.

Deep dives

Proposed Constitutional Amendments for Deliberation

Three teams of constitutional scholars drafted 5 amendments to the Constitution, demonstrating the potential for civil discourse and constitutional agreement. The amendments focused on structural reforms such as amending the amendment process, reinvigorating Congress through a legislative veto, and implementing term limits for Supreme Court justices.

Introduction

5min

The Importance of Civil Discourse and Proposed Amendments

13min

Debate over the Citizenship Requirement for President

2min

Amending the Constitution

14min

Removing Incompetent Members from Government

8min

Term Limits for Supreme Court Justices

6min

Interpretations and Goals of the Declaration

8min

Expressing Gratitude and Encouragement

2min

In this week’s episode, we are sharing audio from a program hosted live from Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and presented in partnership with ASU’s Center for Constitution Design. The program centered around a discussion of the National Constitution Center’s landmark Constitution Drafting Project, and featured members from each project team— Georgetown Law’s Caroline Fredrickson of Team Progressive, the Goldwater Institute’s Timothy Sandefur of Team Libertarian, and ASU’s Ilan Wurman of Team Conservative. They discuss their approaches to constitution drafting, review points of consensus and disagreement, and reflect on the importance of cross-partisan dialogue in today’s constitutional environment. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. This program was presented live on February 1, 2024.

Resources:

National Constitution Center, Constitution Drafting Project

National Constitution Center, Constitution Drafting Project, “The Proposed Amendments” (PDF)

Center for Constitutional Design at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, 2024 Model Constitutional Convention

NCC America’s Town Hall program, Justice Stephen Breyer on the Importance of Civics Education (Oct. 6, 2022)

Jeffrey Rosen, The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America (2024)

Erwin Chemerinsky, We the People: A Progressive Reading of the Constitution for the Twenty-First Century (2018)

The Preamble to the Constitution

The Declaration of Independence

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)

Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org. 

Continue today’s conversation on Facebook and Twitter using @ConstitutionCtr. 