Re Imagine the Constitution
Re-Claim the Role of the Citizen
Participate in the Constitutional Convention 2020
Background Questions
What was the motivation for establishing the United States of America?
What was the state of affairs that existed at the time?
What were the delegates who congregated in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 thinking?
Can their deliberation inform us today as we face the challenges of the 21st century?
Major Themes Debated of the 1787 Constitutional Convention
Human Nature: Psychology, philosophy, economics, biology, and politics
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Preamble
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the rights of man
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Safety vs liberty
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structure to allow for human flourishing
We the People: The rights of man, the individual in society
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Suffrage
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Generational
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Corporate
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appropriate division of citizen rights and responsibilities?
Citizen Ownership: The role of consent to a government
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Elections
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Representation
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secrecy, transparency, accountability
More Perfect Union: Setting up the US Government
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Federal
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State
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Local
Preventing Mischief: Checks and balances
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Executive
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Legislative
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Judicial
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Regulatory
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Taxes
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Citizens
Safeguarding Liberty and Dignity: How should liberty and justice be structured?
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Bill of rights, privacy,
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digital technology
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Ladder of Citizen Participation
Information/ knowledge and data vs. wisdom
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Limitation of information access and acquisition
Help us Re-imagine the constitution with one of the following connected activities:
Develop my Political Ecosystem
We will explore the impact of the constitution on our political ecosystem. How did the constitution shape our political ecosystem. Using the complexity lens, we put the political system under the microscope.
Engage with My Political Toolbox
My Political Ecosystem provides easy access to your specific ecosystem from local to national as well at the tools to actively participate in our democracy.
What if the 1787 Constitutional Convention took place in the present? What would the constitution look like?
The Re-Imagine the Constitution Initiative: Building upon the events of the 1787 constitutional convention the initiative uses the proceeding to focus on the current implications of the constitution. It will be structured to allow the presentation of topics to be presented in the time frame that they were discussed in Philadelphia in 1787 and introduce relevant commentary and historical events that amplify our understanding of the topic. We examine the debates that led to the formulation of the US constitution. The ongoing initiative builds on the notes kept by James Madison during the convention. In addition, we will include review and link to relevant Federalist and Antifederalist debates, constitutional interpretation, citizens' action. Psychological insights used to build the constitutional framework by the founders will be analyzed and modern understanding will be used to suggest ways to reimagine the Constitution.
We envision a process that is informed by a “modern” understanding of human nature to "develop" a constitutional framework adequate for social, political and economic life in the twenty-first century. Our process provides an easy to use a framework that embraces crowdsourcing and other tools and events for collaboration to address challenges in our society. We invite anyone who shares our vision and mission to take part in our work, suggest topics, pose questions, write posts, and most importantly, contribute to the conversation.
The Case of the United States 1787
We start with the Case of the United States 1787 as a vehicle for the discussion of the principles and history of the period and the motivation of the founders in convening the constitutional convention. Resources about Major Themes Debated at the 1787 Constitutional Convention are available.
United States Version 4.0 is needed to address the challenges and opportunities of the 21st Century. An operating system that leverages that scientific and technical advances and most importantly the better understanding of the science of human nature and happiness and the ingredients of well being.
Thomas Jefferson in authoring the Declaration of Independence reframed the end-user of the political entity of the US from subjects to citizens. The early debates centered on the role of the citizen in the emerging government. Over the past centuries, we have learned more about the role and have available more tools for participation.
A “daily topic”, coinciding with the debates in the constitutional convention and the publication of the Federalist and Antifederalist papers, and other relevant documents and interpretation will be introduced and discussed. Psychological insights used to build the constitutional framework by the founders will be analyzed and modern understanding will be used to suggest ways to reimagine the Constitution. The topic will be linked where possible to The Medical Case Presentation and My Political Ecosystem. Example” The Constitutional Convention: Monday, 29th of May 1787
We invite anyone who shares our vision and mission to take part in our work, suggest topics, pose questions, write posts, and most importantly, contribute to the conversation.
This initiative offers insights into the rationale that led to the constitutional convention. The initiative focuses on the current implications of the constitution created at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. It will be structured to allow the presentation of topics to be presented in the time frame that they were discussed in Philadelphia in 1787. We start with a discussion of the principles and history of the period and the motivation of the founders in convening the constitutional convention. It will build on the notes kept by James Madison during the convention.
We envision a process that is informed by a “modern” understanding of human nature to "develop" a constitutional framework adequate for social, political and economic life in the twenty-first century. Our process provides an easy to use a framework that embraces crowdsourcing and other tools and events for collaboration to address challenges in our society. We invite anyone who shares our vision and mission to take part in our work, suggest topics, pose questions, write posts, and most importantly, contribute to the conversation.
Resources
The Journal of the US Constitutional Convention
Introduction to the Constitutional Convention
James Madison notes of debates
A 90 Day Study of the United States Constitution (Pdf)
Federalist-Antifederalist debate
Take Part in the Case Presentation
The Medical Case Presentation is an essential framework for a focused disciplined approach to addressing medical problems.
Join us for happy hour
Details soon
Follow the Constitutional Convention With Social Media
You can follow the debated and join in with social media. Daily twitting #Myconstitution, facebook, and bloging.
Rethinking America’s Founding
Michael Klarman, Harvard Law Professor and author of The Framers’ Coup: The Making of the United States Constitution, and Patrick Spero, Librarian at the American Philosophical Society and editor of The American Revolution Reborn, discuss their new books, putting a human face on America’s Framers and reassessing the clashes that helped define the Founding era. Tom Donnelly, senior fellow in constitutional studies at the National Constitution Center, moderates.