At the Model Constitutional Convention held at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law this Memorial Day weekend, student delegates from across 70 law schools and universities debated a roster of 20 proposed amendments to the US Constitution. This event, sponsored by the Center for Constitutional Design at ASU Law, brought together 110 official delegates in a day-long plenary session.
The topics of these proposed amendments spanned a broad set of constitutional domains, including environmental protection, national service, future constitutional amendments, court reform, impeachment, gun control, electoral campaign periods, and term limits. Discussions also included lifting the cap on the number of representatives in the House of Representatives, the right to marry, limiting presidential pardon power, prohibiting political gerrymandering, instituting restorative justice, abolishing death-qualified juries, and Congressional representation for the territories among others.
One noteworthy proposal called for the codification of tribal sovereignty in the US Constitution. Crispin South, a Choctaw law student from Arizona State University, advocated for its necessity, pointing to earlier cases like
Montana v. US and
Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta as examples of tribal sovereignty being unduly abrogated.
Another contentious proposal sparked a heated debate, calling for the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sex and gender. While the conversation remained intense, it was underscored by a mutual respect among participants.
As the deliberations progressed, it became evident that while youthful optimism for a more just constitutional order remained strong, achieving consensus in a nation divided on numerous fronts is a herculean task. Nevertheless, the very fact that such a diverse group gathered to contemplate the constitutional future of the nation indicates a prevalent desire for improvements in democratic processes.
The information provided here is drawn from the report of JP Leskovich, a third-year law student at the University of Pittsburgh and News Managing Editor for JURIST.