In this episode of Ponder This, we’ll ponder term limits, what they mean and what we should consider about them.
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Like many of you, I am a product of the public schools. Like many of you I thought the Constitution was for lawyers and judges.
One day I read the Constitution, and was surprised to find I didn't need a law degree to understand it. Then I read the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers and even the Anti-Federalist Papers. As I learned more and more about our founding fathers and documents I saw how little we know about how our country was designed to work and how many people just didn't care.
I started The Constitution Study to help those who also want read and study our Constitution.
In related pondering, I was thinking about the 17th Amendment, more specifically how different the Senate would be if that hadn’t been passed.
I think about the repeal and again what effect that would have. Here’s where I get disagreement; I believe, even though it has never been done, that recall is an inherent component of appointment. In other words a State legislature could recall a Senator who was not working for the best interest of the State, or on unconstitutional legislation.
Is this something you would consider pondering on this program?
As I understand it, yes the recall of Senators by State legislatures what not uncommon in the days before the 17th Amendment. That is a major difference between appointments and elections. There is no mechanism in the Constitution for recalling elected officials, only removal by impeachment or, in the legislature, censure. However, I think the impact of repealing the 17th Amendment is so much more than the recall of Senators. It would return to the States the power to influence federal law, appointments and treaties. It would return to them much of the sovereign power they abdicated when they ratified the amendment. While it would probably take time, I believe it would restore the checks and balances our Founding Fathers placed between the governments of this nation.