What does the Constitution say about picking Supreme Court justices? Not much
With the death of Antonin Scalia, you will hear a great deal of bunk asserted about what the Constitution does and doesn’t require to replace him.
Imperfect Union: Constitutional Roots of the Mess We’re In
How the threat of a government shutdown becomes normal
Our system has more choke points than any other and is vulnerable when compromise is equated as defeat.
War powers proposal does little to restore original constitutional balance
It’s a mere baby step toward respecting the now-almost-non-existent constitutional provisions on how the United States is supposed decide to wage war.
Is there good news lurking behind the lack of ‘compromise’ talk in Washington?
You don’t get to compromise by saying the word “compromise” constantly.
An idea to end gridlock: dissolve Congress
A French historian offers a bold suggestion for U.S. constitutional reform.
Second-guessing shutdown: Would a parliamentary system have avoided the crisis?
The crisis wouldn’t have occurred — but don’t get too excited about a parliamentary system.
What’s behind the shutdown? Put ‘Hastert Rule’ and Constitution on your list
The ungovernable mess we’re in is rooted in the sacred U.S. Constitution and a rule that’s not mentioned in the document.
Trouble ahead: Justices’ rulings on gun rights raise thorny questions
The U.S. Supreme Court says bluntly that Americans have a constitutional right to keep and bear arms, but we don’t know the limits.
Gun rights in the 1780s and today
It’s hard for contemporary American to grasp the degree to which 18th-century Americans saw themselves as citizens of their states more so than the nation.
The Second Amendment is a mess
Applying the plain language of the Second Amendment to modern gun-control questions presents some serious problems.
Latest attempt to manipulate Electoral College vote isn’t new
Here a cool-but-disturbing little-known historical fact that puts an unexpected spin on the kerfuffle.
For better or worse, an old, flawed and hard-to-amend Constitution binds us
We are left with making guesses of long-dead ancestors as to the best way to govern ourselves.
Bottom line: Here’s the biggest problem with the Constitution
We have a system that’s built for inaction with too many veto points.
Fixing our system: Would another constitutional convention do the trick?
It’s been attempted, but a never done successfully.
Constitutional amendments so far: Most have been for the better
They have advanced rights, liberties and greatly increasing the democratic content of our system.
Constitution nearly impossible to amend: Is the bar too high?
The U.S. charter is “old, short and difficult to amend.”
Don’t blame the U.S. Constitution for the filibuster
The filibuster was not created by the Constitution. It’s become a problem because of new political norms.
No amendment allowed: A constitutional problem we’re stuck with
What is the only provision of the Constitution that cannot be amended?
Some ideas to limit the ‘supremacy’ of the U.S. Supreme Court
How could we fix the imperfections in our judicial system? Here are a few ideas that have been suggested or demonstrated around the world.
Something changed: Picking a Supreme Court justice is now a partisan battle
But it wasn’t always that way, and nothing in the Constitution suggests that the Framers intended the system we have today.
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