Me the People, Or, One Man's Selfless Quest to Rewrite the Constitution of the United States of America

Me the People, Or, One Man's Selfless Quest to Rewrite the Constitution of the United States of America PDF Author: Kevin Bleyer
Publisher: Random House Digital, Inc.
ISBN: 1400069351
Category : Constitutional history
Languages : en
Pages : 354

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Book Description
Presents an offbeat revision of the U.S. Constitution that reflects twenty-first century realities and addresses unresolved questions while describing the author's research into ancient Greece's early practices of democracy.

Me the People, Or, One Man's Selfless Quest to Rewrite the Constitution of the United States of America

Me the People, Or, One Man's Selfless Quest to Rewrite the Constitution of the United States of America PDF Author: Kevin Bleyer
Publisher: Random House Digital, Inc.
ISBN: 1400069351
Category : Constitutional history
Languages : en
Pages : 354

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Book Description
Presents an offbeat revision of the U.S. Constitution that reflects twenty-first century realities and addresses unresolved questions while describing the author's research into ancient Greece's early practices of democracy.

Me the People

Me the People PDF Author: Kevin Bleyer
Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
ISBN: 0812981685
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 354

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Book Description
The United States Constitution promised a More Perfect Union. It’s a shame no one bothered to write a more perfect Constitution—one that didn’t trigger more than two centuries of arguments about what the darn thing actually says. Until now. Perfection is at hand. A new, improved Constitution is here. And you are holding it. But first, some historical context: In the eighteenth century, a lawyer named James Madison gathered his friends in Philadelphia and, over four long months, wrote four short pages: the Constitution of the United States of America. Not bad. In the nineteenth century, a president named Abraham Lincoln freed an entire people from the flaws in that Constitution by signing the Emancipation Proclamation. Pretty impressive. And in the twentieth century, a doctor at the Bethesda Naval Hospital delivered a baby—but not just any baby. Because in the twenty-first century, that baby would become a man, that man would become a patriot, and that patriot would rescue a country . . . by single-handedly rewriting that Constitution. Why? We think of our Constitution as the painstakingly designed blueprint drawn up by, in Thomas Jefferson’s words, an “assembly of demigods” who laid the foundation for the sturdiest republic ever created. The truth is, it was no blueprint at all but an Etch A Sketch, a haphazard series of blunders, shaken clean and redrawn countless times during a summer of petty debates, drunken ramblings, and desperate compromise—as much the product of an “assembly of demigods” as a confederacy of dunces. No wonder George Washington wished it “had been made more perfect.” No wonder Benjamin Franklin stomached it only “with all its faults.” The Constitution they wrote is a hot mess. For starters, it doesn’t mention slavery, or democracy, or even Facebook; it plays favorites among the states; it has typos, smudges, and misspellings; and its Preamble, its most famous passage, was written by a man with a peg leg. Which, if you think about it, gives our Constitution hardly a leg to stand on. [Pause for laughter.] Now stop laughing. Because you hold in your hands no mere book, but the most important document of our time. Its creator, Daily Show writer Kevin Bleyer, paid every price, bore every burden, and saved every receipt in his quest to assure the salvation of our nation’s founding charter. He flew to Greece, the birthplace of democracy. He bused to Philly, the home of independence. He went toe-to-toe (face-to-face) with Scalia. He added nightly confabs with James Madison to his daily consultations with Jon Stewart. He tracked down not one but two John Hancocks—to make his version twice as official. He even read the Constitution of the United States. So prepare yourselves, fellow patriots, for the most significant literary event of the twenty-first, twentieth, nineteenth, and latter part of the eighteenth centuries. Me the People won’t just form a More Perfect Union. It will save America. Praise for Me the People “I would rather read a constitution written by Kevin Bleyer than by the sharpest minds in the country.”—Jon Stewart “Bleyer takes a red pencil to democracy’s most hallowed laundry list. . . . Uproarious and fascinating.”—Reader’s Digest “I knew James Madison. James Madison was a friend of mine. Mr. Bleyer, you are no James Madison. But you sure are a heck of a lot more fun.”—Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Team of Rivals

Re-Framers

Re-Framers PDF Author: John R. Vile
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1610697340
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 414

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Book Description
This book is the most comprehensive review of all the major proposals to rewrite, revise, or even replace the U.S. Constitution, covering more than 170 proposals from the nation's beginnings to the present day. The U.S. Constitution was carefully written by a remarkable group of men, but subsequent generations of Americans have devoted enormous time and energy to "improving" it. From colonial times to the present day, Americans of all political persuasions have campaigned to reform, remake, or replace this key document. The growth of the Internet and self-publishing has spawned a virtual explosion of such proposals. This book documents the numerous ideas for change—some practical, some idealistic, and some bordering on fanatical—that reflect America's Constitutional heritage and could shape the nation's future. Re-Framers: 170 Eccentric, Visionary, and Patriotic Proposals to Rewrite the U.S. Constitution sets the stage for this review by describing various prequels to the U.S. Constitution and explaining how the final document emerged at the Constitutional Convention. The subsequent chapters examine many proposed alternatives and revisions to the Constitution from its establishment until the present, illuminating perceived strengths and weaknesses of the current document as well as the pros and cons of possible amendments. Readers ranging from lay citizens who are interested in constitutional issues to historians, political scientists, law professors, and reference librarians will all benefit from this unparalleled examination of proposed constitutional amendment.

The Article V Amendatory Constitutional Convention

The Article V Amendatory Constitutional Convention PDF Author: Thomas E. Brennan
Publisher: Lexington Books
ISBN: 1498501044
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 197

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Book Description
This book describes the process of amending the federal constitution as defined in Article V by means of a convention for proposing amendments. It shows that the constitution can be amended in two ways: either by ratifying an amendment proposed by the Congress or by ratifying an amendment proposed by a convention. Article V requires the Congress to call a convention whenever the legislatures of two thirds of the states request one. The federal constitution has been amended twenty-seven times. All 27 amendments were proposed by the Congress. There has never been an Article V amendatory constitutional convention in the 230 year history of the nation. Over the years, every state in the union has asked for a convention at one time or another. Congress has never acknowledged those requests or evaluated them. The history of the 1787 constitutional convention in Philadelphia shows that the founders intended the Article V convention to be a means for the states to seek amendments which the Congress refuses to consider. The book describes the efforts of a number of citizens groups that are trying to get an Article V convention, and it describes the weaknesses and strengths of each. It comes to several conclusions: A. That the Congress will never voluntarily call a convention no matter how many petitions are received, because a convention might propose amendments which would decrease the powers or prerogatives of Congress. B. That the states have the right to call an Article V convention without the concurrence of the Congress whenever two-thirds of the states wish to participate. C. That citizens of the several states have the constitutional right to organize a convention for proposing amendments, without the call of Congress or the approval of the state legislatures. D. That no amendment proposed by a convention, of any kind, will become a part of the federal constitution unless it is ratified by three quarters of the states, as required by Article V. The book urges the convening of a constitutional convention by the voluntary action of citizens, and recommends a number of matters that should be on its agenda.

The Ultimate Daily Show and Philosophy

The Ultimate Daily Show and Philosophy PDF Author:
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118397703
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 349

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Book Description
Savor moments of Zen like never before, with our Senior Philosophical Correspondents The Ultimate Daily Show and Philosophy is revised, expanded, and updated to probe deeper than ever before the philosophical significance of the quintessential “fake” news show of the 21st century. Features significant revisions and updates from the first 2007 edition Includes discussion of both The Daily Show and its spin-off, The Colbert Report Reveals why and how The Daily Show is philosophically engaging and significant Showcases philosophers at their best, discussing truth, knowledge, reality, and the American Way Faces head on tough and surprisingly funny questions about politics, religion, and power

Who Owns the World

Who Owns the World PDF Author: Kevin Cahill
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 0446551392
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 263

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Book Description
You don't have to be a student of geography or cartography to have an interest in the world around you, especially with globalization making our planet seem smaller than ever. Now you can IM someone in Alaska, purchase coffee beans from Timor-Leste, and visit Dubai. But what do we really know about these lands? Who Owns the World presents the results of the first-ever landownership survey of all 197 states and 66 territories of the world, and reveals facts both startling and eye-opening. You'll learn that: Only 15% of the world's population lays claim to landownership, and that landownership in too few hands is probably the single greatest cause of poverty. Queen Elizabeth II owns 1/6 of the entire land surface on earth (nearly 3 times the size of the U.S.). The Lichtenstein royal family is wealthier than the Grimaldis of Monaco. 80% of the American population is crammed in urban areas. The least crowded state is Alaska, with 670 acres per person. The most crowded is New Jersey, with .7 acres per person. 60% of America's population are property owners. That's behind the UK (69% homeownership). And much, much more! With its relevance to contemporary issues and culture, Who Owns the World makes for fascinating reading. Both entertaining and educational, it provides cocktail party conversation for years to come and is guaranteed to change the way you view the U.S. and the world.

Fratelli Tutti

Fratelli Tutti PDF Author: Pope Francis
Publisher: Orbis Books
ISBN: 1608338886
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 123

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Book Description


Heirpower!

Heirpower! PDF Author: Bob Vasquez
Publisher: Military Bookshop
ISBN: 9781780399652
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 90

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Book Description
"So you're 22 years old, you've just gotten your commission, you've arrived at your first duty station, you've met with your commander, and you're now 'in charge' of a group of enlisted men and women, all of whom have been in service longer than you, know a whole lot more about military life than you, and are expecting more than you know. To top it all off, your first 'subordinate' happens to be a 30-year veteran of every war you ever read about, and his rank is, yes, E-9. He's not an E-10 only because that rank doesn't exist. Now what do you do? Let me tell you. . . ." In Heirpower! Eight Basic Habits of Exceptionally Powerful Lieutenants, CMSgt Bob Vásquez, an Air Force veteran of more than 30 years, now serving as director of a freshman seminar at the US Air Force Academy's Center for Character Development, shares the views of the enlisted force in a powerful, humorous, anecdotal way that will educate and entertain you. Bob's eight habits will empower you to become an Exceptionally Powerful Lieutenant!

The Virtue of Selfishness

The Virtue of Selfishness PDF Author: Ayn Rand
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101137223
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 165

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Book Description
A collection of essays that sets forth the moral principles of Objectivism, Ayn Rand's controversial, groundbreaking philosophy. Since their initial publication, Rand's fictional works—Anthem, The Fountainhead, and Atlas Shrugged—have had a major impact on the intellectual scene. The underlying theme of her famous novels is her philosophy, a new morality—the ethics of rational self-interest—that offers a robust challenge to altruist-collectivist thought. Known as Objectivism, her divisive philosophy holds human life—the life proper to a rational being—as the standard of moral values and regards altruism as incompatible with man's nature. In this series of essays, Rand asks why man needs morality in the first place, and arrives at an answer that redefines a new code of ethics based on the virtue of selfishness. More Than 1 Million Copies Sold!

On Revolution

On Revolution PDF Author: Hannah Arendt
Publisher: Penguin Group
ISBN:
Category : Revolutions
Languages : en
Pages : 40

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Book Description