{"id":1393,"date":"2018-04-04T10:28:58","date_gmt":"2018-04-04T15:28:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/conventionofstates\/?p=1393"},"modified":"2018-04-04T10:28:58","modified_gmt":"2018-04-04T15:28:58","slug":"convention-for-proposing-amendments-not-as-scary-as-big-government-advocates-suggest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/conventionofstates\/2018\/04\/convention-for-proposing-amendments-not-as-scary-as-big-government-advocates-suggest\/","title":{"rendered":"Convention for Proposing Amendments Not as Scary as Big Government Advocates Suggest"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

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The following excerpt was written by Rob Natelson and originally published on\u00a0The Hill.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

We are witnessing a\u00a0renewal\u00a0and\u00a0quickening\u00a0of a 50-year old campaign to dissuade Americans from calling a convention for proposing constitutional amendments.<\/p>\n

Like voter suppression efforts, the campaign uses fear and disinformation to discourage citizens from exercising an important constitutional right.<\/p>\n

Article V of the Constitution permits the American people, through our state legislatures, to require Congress to call a \u201cconvention for proposing amendments.\u201d As the name suggests, this is a way of proposing constitutional reforms Congress refuses to propose. Any proposals must, however, be ratified by 38 states before they become law.<\/p>\n

Our founders designed this as a way the people could fix the federal government if it became abusive or dysfunctional. The convention is, in fact, an important constitutional check, like the president\u2019s veto or the Senate\u2019s right to vote on treaties. Today many favor a convention to propose federal\u00a0term limits, a\u00a0balanced budget rule,\u00a0campaign finance reform, a\u00a0single subject rule\u00a0for congressional bills, or\u00a0combinations\u00a0of these and other changes.<\/p>\n

Popular interest in a convention grows when people are dissatisfied with the federal government \u2014 as they are now. Unfortunately, this is also the signal for opponents to re-launch their fear campaign. Well-funded organizations disseminate media articles by authors with impressive titles, but no real expertise on the subject. They focus on four talking points:<\/p>\n