In this short essay, constitutional historian Rob Natelson thumbnails the three-centuries long history of “conventions of the states.” When delegations
The Convention of States in American History Read More »
The convention of the states meeting in Phoenix, Arizona in September will need a set of rules. Moreover, that convention
Convention Rules for a Convention of the States Read More »
You may have heard alarms that if we hold a national convention for proposing constitutional amendments the gathering would be
You may have heard alarms that if we hold a national convention for proposing constitutional amendments the gathering would be an uncontrollable constitutional convention (“con-con”) that could propose anything at all. The claim is called the “runaway scenario.” It has almost no basis in history or law.
How progressives promoted the ‘runaway convention’ myth to save judicial activism Read More »
A majority of state legislatures have voted to trigger the U.S. Constitution’s most important procedure for reforming the federal government.
Scalia Probably Favored An Amendments Convention — But Does It Matter? Read More »
The convention of states process is well-honed, safe, and effective. Americans need to consider carefully whether the Constitution should be amended. But they should not allow disinformation to influence their choice.
Voters shouldn’t be shy about amending the Constitution to bypass Congress Read More »
The authors affiliated with the Compact for America (CFA) would have us believe that states may use their ordinary law-making
Statement by Rob Natelson on the “Compact for America’s” Latest Attack Read More »
This posting was updated on Jan. 18, 2023. In June, 2016 the Assembly of State Legislatures (ASL), a planning group
Convention Rules from the “Assembly of State Legislatures:” Two Cheers Only Read More »
This semi-tongue-in-cheek article was first published at the American Spectator. Dissatisfaction with the presidential nominees of both major parties is
How to end up with Pence or Kaine in the White House: Suspend the 12th Amendment Read More »
In prior posts, I’ve discussed two key elements of constitutional law: 1. The Constitution grants some powers to persons and
Because of widespread interest in the Article V Information Center’s report on the legality of the “Compact for America” approach to
The Wisconsin Historical Society publishes successive volumes of the Documentary History of the Constitution of the United States. As its
Newly-Published Ratification Documents Confirm Our Conclusions on the Amendment Process Read More »
