Notes and a List of Changes, Revised U.S. Constitution

A list of alterations from the original contained in my revised Constitution. For the most part, the inclusion of the text of amendments will not be mentioned here unless those amendments were subsequently altered or deleted themselves.

Article I, Section 1. Here, I included the text of Amendment X. I intended it to show that the idea of enumerated powers applies directly to the Congress; that is, to say that all legislative power is granted to the Congress without qualifying that statement with an enumeration of actual powers is to give the Congress near-unlimited power to work its will on the People and the States at large. As such, in order to maintain power for the States and the People, the tenth amendment text is specifically included here.

Section 2. I changed the wording here from "Indians not taxed" to "citizens of dependent nations not taxed." All other instances of Indians were also changed to citizens of dependent nations.

Section 3. I returned the power of appointing Senators to the State legislatures. However, unlike the original Constitution before Amendment XVII, I allowed for the State legislature to choose the method of appointment. That is, the State legislature could provide for a popular election, if it so desired, but it would not be constrained to doing so. The Senate is meant to be a delegation from the States whose purpose is to work the will of the State from which its members are appointed, not the People thereof. The People are represented in the House of Representatives.

Section 7. I removed the Senate's power to propose amendments to appropriations bills. Because the Senate does not represent the People, it should have no power in determining how their tax dollars ought to be spent. The Senate may approve or disapprove of the budget, but they may not change it.

I significantly altered the President's power of veto. The President was never meant to be a legislator, though he is in this way a part of the legislative process. To overturn the will of the Representatives of the People and of the States merely on ideological grounds is too great of a power for one person to hold. Therefore, the President, if he believes the bill to be unconstitutional, may refer that bill to the Supreme Court for a judgment. If the Court rules for its constitutionality, it becomes law; if not, it is defeated.

Section 8. I removed the Congress's power to borrow money except in cases of emergency declared by the House and approved by the Senate and President. This requires the budget to be balanced in all other cases.

I added artists and their works to Congress's power to protect intellectual property.

I clarified the language of Amendment I to avoid misunderstanding concerning the establishment clause.

I clarified the language of Amendment II to ensure the individual right to bear arms. A collective right to bear arms in the militia is meaningless. All males having attained to the age of eighteen years and all members of the Army and Air National Guards are members of the militia. However, the President has complete control over the National Guard as each member must swear to obey his orders. National Guardsmen train with regular Army and federal Reserve troops and serve under the same officers. The National Guard is no protection against the Federal government should such a need arise. This is the entire purpose of the right to bear arms.

Article II, Section 1. I clarified the power of the President to comprise the power to execute the laws of the United States.

I altered the mechanism of the appointment of electors for President and Vice President to a district-by-district method, as determined by State law, coupled with an at large appointment. This is to say that each Congressional district will choose one elector from among themselves, and the State will choose two from the People of the State at large. This is meant to ensure that the electors for President and Vice President will be more representative of the People at large. It may also reduce the cost for Presidential campaigns, as the People will be specifically choosing electors rather than voting for them en bloc based on their pledge to vote for a particular Presidential candidate. As such, the People will choose an elector who most closely represents their own views on the qualities they desire in a Presidential candidate, and the candidates themselves need only campaign among their party for the nomination and among electors once nominated.

I also altered the process of contingent elections of the President in the House should there be no majority in the electoral college. Previously, the delegation from each State regardless of the number of Representatives therein received one vote, effectively giving each State one vote. In the revision, the House will vote as usual, with each member receiving one vote.

Section 2. This section is completely composed of text from Amendment XV which clarifies Presidential disability and succession. As such, all subsequent sections in Article II are numbered one greater than their original numbers.

Section 3. I added the Air Force to the list of military bodies for which the President shall be commander-in-chief.

Article III, Section 2. I raised the minimum dollar amount for trial by jury in civil cases from twenty dollars to one thousand.

Article V. I changed the process of ratification of amendments to allow for the People of each State to ratify the amendments by referendum. It seemed unreasonable to me that thirteen houses of legislature in as many States could block popular amendments or inflict unpopular amendments contrary to the will of the People at large. By the same token, State conventions would be made up of a small number of persons, and only thirteen of the conventions would be required to affect the amendment process.

Article VII. I changed this provision to allow for approval of three quarters of States to put the Constitution into effect among all of the States, rather than only those who have yet approved it, just as the current amendment process allows.

Amendments I & II. I clarified these amendments as aforementioned.

Amendment X. I clarified this amendment as aforementioned.

Amendment XI. I deleted this amendment, thus allowing States to be sued by individuals in federal court.

Amendment XIV. I deleted the provision for children born on U.S. soil to be U.S. citizens. This provision was included to ensure citizenship for freed slaves, and it is no longer necessary.

Amendments XV, XIX, & XXVI. I combined most of the text of these amendments into one clause in Article I, Section 4.

Amendment XVI. I deleted this amendment, thus removing the Congress's power to tax income.

Amendment XVII. I deleted this amendment, as aforementioned, to return the power of appointment of Senators to the State legislatures.

Amendments XVIII & XXI. I deleted these amendments, which concerned the prohibition of alcohol and its subsequent repeal.