✔️ Via Lawrence O'Donnell:
Imagine where this country would be today without the anti-democratic institution of the #ElectoralCollege which no democracy born after ours has copied.
#Trump never would’ve seen a classified document were it not for the Electoral College.
#TrumpIndictment
(1/n)
Yes, but...
...is just a start of what needs major mending in the #US electoral system:
#IntroduceProportionalRepresentation
#MakeGerrymanderingACrime
#StatehoodForDC
#StatehoodForPuertoRico
#DoubleNationality for #NativeAmericans,
#NoGunsNearTheVotingBooth
#ThomasJefferson "...wrote to #JamesMadison in #1789:"
"Every #constitution then, & 👉every law, naturally expires👈 at..." (1)
(1)
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-12-02-0248
(2/n)
"...the end of 19 years.👈
If it be 👉enforced longer, it is an act of force, & not of right. 👈
It may be said that the succeeding generation exercising in fact the power of repeal, this leaves them as free as if the constitution or law had been expressly limited to 19 years only." (1)
#Jefferson erred massively on the latter.
"...the last meaningful change to the #Constitution...
took..."
(3/4)
"...effect 👉[more than] 50 years ago👈..., extending the right to vote to all Americans age 18 and older." (2)
This was in 1971!
“We have an 👉amendment process that’s the hardest in the world to enact👈,” said #AzizRana, a professor of #ConstitutionalLaw at #CornellUniversity.
“That’s the reason why it’s basically 👉 a dead letter to enact constitutional amendments.👈
You have to have rolling #supermajorities across the country to do so.”
Out of almost 12,000..."
(4/4)
"...#amendments proposed 👉since the founding, only 27 have been adopted👈." (2)
The #Constitution was not made of diamonds and thus was never meant to be forever.
So, to get the #constitutional framework up to the 21st century level, more of a #legal #BigBang is needed.
#AbolishTheFilibuster might get constitutional reform finally started.
Laffy
HistoPol (#HP) 🏴 🇺🇸 🏴