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What do you do when something no longer works?

Polls show the public’s trust in the federal government to address issues, both international and domestic, is at record lows, and even more damning is the ranking of Congress.[1],[2] We hold the federal government and Congress in such low regard, but expect them to change things – when they have no incentive nor inclination to do so. It is time we start a serious conversation about real change.

Article V of the U. S. Constitution provides us with a vehicle for real change. The time is now, the conversation has started, the process and days ahead will be arduous, but the reward will be great, and generations to come will be thankful that we met this challenge.

Article V

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

[1] http://www.gallup.com/poll/164393/fewer-americans-ever-trust-gov-handle-problems.aspx Copyright © 2013 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted Sept. 5-8, 2013, on the annual Gallup Governance survey, with a random sample of 1,510 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

[2] http://www.gallup.com/poll/163052/americans-confidence-congress-falls-lowest-record.aspx Copyright © 2013 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted June 1-4, 2013, with a random sample of 1,529 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points.