Example 1: Altering the Constitution
The formal amendment process, two formal methods of proposing an amendment to the Constitution are available: (1) a two thirds vote in each chamber of congress or (2) a national convention that is called by congress at the request of two-thirds of the state legislatures. The second method has never been used. Ratification can occur by one of two methods: (1) by a positive vote in three-fourths, of the legislatures of the various states or (2) by special conventions called in the states and a positive in three-fourths of them. The second method has been used only once, to repeal Prohibition (the ban on the production and sale of alcoholic beverages). That situation was exceptional prohibitionist forces were in control of the legislatures in many states where a majority of the population actually supported repeal. Nevertheless, congress has considered more than eleven thousand amendments to the Constitution. Only thirty-three amendments have been submitted to the states after having been approved by the required two-thirds vote in each chamber of congress, and only twenty-seven have been ratified. It should be clear that the amendment process is very difficult. Because of competing social and economic interests, the requirement that two-thirds of both the House and the Senate approved the amendments is hard to achieve. Likewise, I would alter the constitution by (1). Term Limits to members of the U.S. House and Senate (4 terms {2-year terms} =House; 2 terms {6-year terms} =Senate). This shouldn't apply to incumbents at the date of ratification.
(2) Resubmit the Death Penalty Abolition Amendment (a proposed Amendment to the US Constitution in 1992, but it failed): The death penalty shall not be imposed by the United States, or by any State, Territory, or other jurisdiction within the United States. (3) Resubmit the following