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| Glenn Reynolds: Blow up the administrative state |
| 2016-01-18 |
| Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wants to amend the Constitution. His proposed changes: Prohibit Congress from regulating activity that occurs wholly within one state. Require Congress to balance its budget. Prohibit administrative agencies -- and the un-elected bureaucrats that staff them -- from creating federal law. Prohibit administrative agencies -- and the un-elected bureaucrats that staff them -- from preempting state law. Allow a two-thirds majority of the states to override a U.S. Supreme Court decision. Require a seven-justice super-majority vote for U.S. Supreme Court decisions that invalidate a democratically enacted law. Restore the balance of power between the federal and state governments by limiting the former to the powers expressly delegated to it in the Constitution. Give state officials the power to sue in federal court when federal officials overstep their bounds. Allow a two-thirds majority of the states to override a federal law or regulation. ...The real fear, I suspect, is that the proposals urged by Abbott, which would roll back much of the political class's successful power-grab over the past century, would prove popular enough to pass. If that happened, the federal government would become both smaller and more accountable, two political-class nightmares. |
| Posted by:g(r)omgoru |
| #8 The states could pass this. Congress never will, because they like their perks. Make it very clear to congress if they don't, they lose their jobs. And if they refuse still, storming the Hill comes next. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2016-01-18 23:10 |
| #7 lack the will and intestinal fortitude Sorry Sven but the problem is that the weasels LIKE things the way they are, it's not a problem for them. This is the type of stuff that gives them the leverage to suck money from the rent-seekers/lobbyists. |
| Posted by: AlanC 2016-01-18 19:55 |
| #6 And they have to live by the same laws as everyone else. No special exemptions! |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2016-01-18 19:54 |
| #5 I would like to see a constitutional amendment that limits Congresscritters to 2 terms in the Senate, and 6 terms in the House. And no pension or medical care after they leave office. The states could pass this. Congress never will, because they like their perks. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2016-01-18 18:03 |
| #4 A new constitution is not needed. Congress can fix this by limiting the power of both the executive and the Supreme Court. It has the existing power. The weasels in Congress however lack the will and intestinal fortitude to fix the problems. |
| Posted by: Sven the pelter 2016-01-18 17:32 |
| #3 You would think, after all the Obama abuses with administrative agencies (EPA, IRS, DOJ, etc) that Republicans in Congress would be eager to roll back administrative authority. You would think. |
| Posted by: Iblis 2016-01-18 17:15 |
| #2 How about resurrecting the spoils system, P2K? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2016-01-18 15:43 |
| #1 Anything out of a convention will still require 3/4 of the states to approve. Note well before you go crying about the convention being taken over by the existing power groups. One amendment that would pass within a month or two would be the one outlawing any federal mandate from the legislative, executive or judicial that requires the raising or levying of any new taxes or the expenditure of any state budget resources. You can bet that 3/4 largely of those smaller states without major metro areas would pass that at first opportunity. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2016-01-18 13:12 |