Amending the Constitution



Creating Your Own Amendment Project

The purpose of this assignment is to write an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that addresses a problem faced by Americans in 2015. This is a collaborative assignment, so students may work in groups of up to three people. First, teams will identify an issue facing the nation that can be resolved by amending the Constitution. A list of possible topics can be found on the other side of this page. Teams will then research the issue they have chosen and present a proposed solution to the class. The presentation can be made in one of these formats--a commercial, a press kit, or an alternative presentation proposed by the research team.

Commercial: Team members will create a 60-second video presentation explaining their proposed amendment. The commercial should be designed to air on television or on the internet. In the commercial, team members must explain how their proposal would solve a national problem and make America stronger. This is a persuasive piece, so use techniques that will convince an audience your solution will work. You will need to include a typed outline of your commercial skit when turning in your project.

Press Kit: A press kit is a set of promotional materials designed to advertise a particular idea or organization. It is distributed to members of the media to promote a campaign. In this case, the campaign is for the proposed amendment. The press kit for this assignment must include a campaign poster, a brochure, and a PowerPoint presentation explaining the amendment and the issue it addresses. Like the commercial, the materials in the press kit should be persuasive.

Alternative Presentation: Groups may also propose a presentation of their own creation. The proposal must first get the approval of Ms. Carroll. An alternative presentation must be comparable to the commercial or press kit in terms of the purpose of the assignment and the amount of work required. This needs to be something that is also persuasive in order to try and convince people to back your amendment.

All teams must also complete a proposal worksheet. The proposal worksheet identifies the issue being addressed and places it into historical context. Teams will also use the worksheet to explain how their amendment solves a problem, as well as what opposition their proposal might face during the ratification process. Only one worksheet is required for each group. The proposal worksheet is attached to the directions and is also available on the class website.

Work for this project is due in two stages:

THE PROPOSAL WORKSHEET IS DUE ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2017.

THE PRESENTATION (COMMERCIAL, PRESS KIT, OR ALTERNATIVE) IS DUE ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH, 2017.

Good luck and bring honor to your family.

Possible topics for amendment proposals:

Change the national voting age

Term limits for Supreme Court justices

Term limit revision for the President and/or members of Congress

Gay marriage--legalize or prohibit

Repeal the 16th Amendment--abolish the federal income tax

Establish a national minimum wage

Require state or national identification in order to vote

1st Amendment protection for corporations--see Citizens United (2010) decision

Universal health care—abolish Obamacare or make it a Constitutional right

Legalize school prayer

Native American reparations--government compensation for land taken

Do away with the Electoral College in presidential elections

Repeal the 2nd Amendment--the right to bear arms

Establish English as the official language of the United States

Abolish the death penalty

Citizenship requirements--revise 14th Amendment "born in the U.S." clause

Immigration reform

Campaign finance reform

Require a balanced federal budget each year

Establish a national driving age

Compulsory voting—that means you have to vote in an election

You can also think of your own topic for this assignment--the possibilities are endless. What is an issue facing the United States that you think could be resolved with an amendment to the Constitution?

Try to propose an amendment that is realistic and feasible. Less than 1% of all proposed amendments to the Constitution have been ratified. Here is a list of some proposals that failed to make the cut:

1876: an attempt to abolish the United States Senate

1878: an Executive Council of Three should replace the office of the President

1893: renaming the nation the “United States of Earth”

1893: abolishing the United States Army and Navy

1912: making marriage between races illegal

1914: making divorce illegal

1916: all acts of war should be put to a national vote; anyone voting yes would be

required to register for service in the United States Army

1938: forbidding drunkenness in the United States and all of its territories

1947: establishing a maximum income tax of 25% for an individual

1968: forbidding the burning of the American flag

1971: American citizens should have the right to an environment free of pollution

2009: establishing term limits for members of Congress

AMENDMENT PROPOSAL WORKSHEET

Team Members: __________________________________________________________

Proposed amendment:

What is the historical background of the issue your amendment addresses? Why is this an important issue for the United States? Put your proposal into historical context.

What is the expected outcome of your proposal? In other words, how does your amendment solve the problem you identified?

What opposition might your proposal face during the ratification process? What are the arguments against your amendment?

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