If you believe the Constitution to be a sacred document that ought never to be changed then you're in tune with some of the most conservative hard-righters in the country. Given a chance, these folks might even eliminate the very few amendments that we have, including the first ten.
Here are my suggestions for change. As you see, most of them would require a change to the U.S. Constitution - that ancient, out-dated and justly venerated old rag.
- Transparency in government to include (a) declassification of ALL official government records five years after the date of their origin (exact, uncensored and unaltered duplicates might be filed, at the time of their origin, with a special archivist and made readily available to the public after the five year period has expired) and (b) immediate and unrestricted access to all files,records and offices of any federal department (when expressly authorized by the full House) by a standing committee of five House members composed of three from the majority party, two from the minority, all of whom have been sworn not to divulge sensitive information.
- Elimination of the electoral college allowing presidential elections to be decided directly by a majority of the popular vote.
- Restriction on the number of times that a person may hold federal elective office. I'd hold it to two terms, period, with one exception permitted - a person who has held federal elective office for two terms could subsequently occupy the office of president for two terms.
- Revision of the system for electing Senators so that, in so far as possible or practical, Senators would represent all the people, fairly and equally (each Senator would ideally represent the same number of people), through election by national or regional, rather than state, constituencies. This might prove the most difficult change to bring about, but perhaps the most important.
- Elimination of the unconscionable (and growing)disparity in the distribution of wealth. This would require an aggressive, vigorous policy of progressive taxation and absolute limitations on inheritance.
- Elimination of primary elections for national office with candidates to be nominated by their political parties.
- Supreme Court nominees (maybe candidates for all Federal judgeships) to be proposed by the House, vetted by the President and approved by the Senate. For example, the House might be allowed to propose five candidates, the President to select two of the five, and the Senate to approve one of the two (or to reject both in which case the process would begin again). Both the President and the Senate might be required to act within a certain time frame.
- Equal television time for all major party candidates for Federal elective office.
- Elimination of special privileges (perks) and "gifts" for all members of Congress. For example, members would be required to get their health care just as any member of the public or the most humble government employee gets theirs. Also, no special clubs or spas for members, no cut-rate dining rooms, etc.
- Federal regulation of funding for public education that would insure equitable distribution of funds nationwide based solely on student enrollment.
- A loop-hole free, hard-nosed and effective campaign finance law. This might require that the Supreme Court overturn its previous free speech ruling ("the Supreme Court's constitutional equation of money with "speech" - the logic that's warped our campaign finance rules since the famous 1976 case of Buckley vs. Valeo": Mathew Miller), or that congress enact an imaginative law to circumvent its noxious effects.
- Opportunity for the public to decide directly, perhaps every twelve years, whether or not they would like to convene a constitutional convention for the purpose of revising or amending the constitution. The question might be placed simultaneously on the ballots of each of the states and might require approval by two thirds majority of the national electorate (not the states) to carry.