Opinion: We need constitutional reform — starting with the electoral college
By E.J. Dionne Jr. E.J. Dionne Jr. Columnist covering national politics Email Bio Follow Columnist April 3 at 7:04 PM As a country, we have become constitutionally lazy. And timid. And no, I’m not talking about our physical or mental makeup. I’m referring to our attitude toward the nation’s guiding document.
That our last amendment was something close to an accident underscores how unwilling we are to confront the need for systematic change. That’s why I cheered this week when Sen. Brian Schatz joined a group of colleagues to propose an amendment providing for the election of our president by popular vote, not the electoral college. Sen. Jeff Merkley offered a comparable proposal last month. So far, at least seven Democratic presidential candidates have endorsed the idea.
Another sign that structural change is back on the public agenda: There is a variety of proposals to change the way Supreme Court justices are selected. This is a response to how partisan both the confirmation process and the court itself have become. Garrett Epps, a law professor at the University of Baltimore, noted in an email that constitutional amendments usually “come in clusters and they tend to come at moments of national optimism and feeling of confidence.” The three Civil War amendments — abolishing slavery, guaranteeing equal protection and guaranteeing the right to vote — are good examples, as are the Progressive Era amendments on women’s suffrage, allowing an income tax and directly electing senators.
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