Principles for Drafting A Balanced Budget Amendment

All Postings, amendment applications, amendments convention, Article 5, Article V, balanced budget, balanced budget amendment, CONSTITUTION, constitutional amendment, constitutional convention, constitutional law, convention for proposing amendments, Natelson Rob, Rob Natelson, The Founding |

This article originally appeared at The American Thinker.
The Article V Handbook, which I authored for the American Legislative Exchange Council, emphasizes that citizens pressing for constitutional amendments should avoid fringe or unpopular proposals. The Handbook distills four guiding principles for selecting amendments worthy of support:
(1) An amendment should move America back toward Founding principles.
(2) […]

Principles for Drafting A Balanced Budget Amendment Read More »

The Washington Post Picks Up the Flag from the Convention Alarmists

All Postings, amendment applications, amendments convention, Article 5, Article V, balanced budget amendment, CONSTITUTION, constitutional amendment, constitutional convention, constitutional law, convention for proposing amendments, Natelson Rob, Rob Natelson, supreme court, The Founding |

The past week saw yet another assault on those reformers who seek to cure federal dysfunction by promoting a “Convention for proposing Amendments.”
The latest attack took the form of an opinion column that in content offered nothing new. It featured many of the usual errors of commission and omission: The author confused a “Convention for […]

The Washington Post Picks Up the Flag from the Convention Alarmists Read More »

The Famous Case of Coleman v. Miller—and, No, It Doesn’t Give Congress Total Control Over the Amendment Process

All Postings, amendment applications, amendments convention, Article 5, Article V, CONSTITUTION, constitutional amendment, constitutional convention, constitutional law, Rob Natelson, supreme court |

Not long ago, I was listening to a radio talk show and was assured by a caller that the Supreme Court, in the case of Coleman v. Miller, had delegated all important decisions over the amendment process to Congress. In other words, the caller said, Congress can make all decisions on every amendment issue: how […]

The Famous Case of Coleman v. Miller—and, No, It Doesn’t Give Congress Total Control Over the Amendment Process Read More »

No, the Necessary and Proper Clause Does NOT Empower Congress to Control an Amendments Convention

All Postings, amendment applications, amendments convention, Article 5, Article V, balanced budget amendment, CONSTITUTION, constitutional amendment, constitutional convention, constitutional law, convention for proposing amendments, Natelson Rob, necessary and proper clause, original intent, original meaning, originalism, Rob Natelson, The Founding |

A few days ago I heard a presentation by a spokesman for a group that claims to defend the Constitution and revere the Founders. Yet the spokesman trashed the Constitution’s framers for allegedly exceeding their authority and claimed they added a provision that largely rendered another […]

No, the Necessary and Proper Clause Does NOT Empower Congress to Control an Amendments Convention Read More »

Failure to Call Amendments Conventions Helps Explain Modern Federal Overreaching

All Postings, amendment applications, amendments convention, Article 5, Article V, balanced budget, balanced budget amendment, CONSTITUTION, constitutional amendment, constitutional convention, constitutional law, convention for proposing amendments, Natelson Rob, original intent, original meaning, original understanding, originalism, Rob Natelson |

This Article is a modified version of one appearing in the American Thinker.
If President after President failed to veto bills, would it surprise you if congressional power grew at the expense of the presidency? If the Senate never blocked the President’s appointments, would it surprise you if presidential power expanded at the […]

Failure to Call Amendments Conventions Helps Explain Modern Federal Overreaching Read More »