Dispelling American Myths: The U.S. Constitution Is Still Beacon of Democracy?
The U.S. has never yet been the shining democracy that most Americans hear about in the mainstream of our culture, from the 1770s, up until today. “Liberty and justice for all” continues to be an ongoing struggle, and in recent times, our democracy itself, seems at risk. The reasons are many, but too little critique has been directed at the Constitution itself.
In this session, we will take a closer look at the governmental structures the Constitution put in place over 200 years ago and consider whether they are serving us well in present-day circumstances. Specifically, we will examine the nonproportional representation of the Senate, the undemocratic Electoral College, the flagrant life terms of Supreme Court Justices, and the inflated veto power of the President with a too high a bar set for impeachment.
Then we will look at some current proposals for reform that can help us realize a more fully functional democracy. Feel free to bring your own favorite reform initiative(s) to the discussion – along with any links to organizations or resources that would be informative.
Please make time to listen to the podcast and/or read the transcript of “More Democracy” from Season 4, Episode 12 of Scene on Radio. 12 https://www.sceneonradio.org/s4-e12-more-democracy/
While that podcast has excerpts from constitutional scholar, Sanford Levinson, to hear his more thorough critique you can listen to a number of his talks posted on You Tube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R84OWlPlzqU&t=376s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNQdr00xUiA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T_9MvQTZV4
Join us for this monthly exploration of America’s past to help us figure out how to get to a more equitable future. Based on the podcast Scene on Radio, each session will examine our history from a more inclusive perspective – not just the view of the privileged and powerful.
This event is sponsored by HumanistsMN. If you are not already a member, please consider joining to help us cover our costs and build the humanist movement. Sign up at humanistsmn.org.
https://www.meetup.com/humanism-166/events/277986292/
