Don’t just Protest—get Permanent Constitutional Ability to Curb "Big Money" and Repair Congress Main Menu:        Table of Contents

Accessories Sub Menu:                     TABLE OF CONTENTS Calling for a Nationwide Initiatives Amendment to Improve Representative Government state_legislator_package.pdf basic_schematic_insert.htm PROBLEMS are Serious and Urgent - They Cannot be Ignored PLANNED SOLUTION - Justification, Objectives and Criteria, Feasibility IMPLEMENTATION of Plan and Ratification of Amendment STATE SUPPORT for the Planned Amendment AMENDMENT for Direct Democracy Initiatives to Improve Representative Government GOVERNMENT ACTIONS Prepare and Convene Initial Citizens' Assembly CITIZENS' INITIATIVES ASSEMBLY - Complete Text of Opening Rules CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW - Approach to Marketing the Citizens Initiatives Amendment PETITION FOR REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES-Remedy by Constitutional Amendment PRESENTATIONS - Materials and Ideas for Promoting the Initiative Amendment POWERPOINT SLIDESHOW for Promoting the Initiative Amendment GENERIC STATE REFERENDUM BILL for an Application to Congress for a Convention to Propose a U.S. Citizens' Initiatives Amendment State Bill 1 State Referendum 1 State Initiative 1 State Bill 2 State Referendum 2 State Initiative 2 LOBBYING LEGISLATORS GRASSROOTS SUPPORT FIND ADDRESSES of Congress and State Representatives and Candidates WRITE OR EMAIL STATE LEGISLATORS to protect State Rights WRITE OR EMAIL CANDIDATES to Pledge that they will Make a Change OFFICIAL ROSTERS for Congress and State Legislature Members PLEDGE OF INTENT to support Citizens' Initiatives Constitutional Amendment WRITE OR EMAIL CONGRESS to Restore the General Welfare SUPPORT AND OPPOSITION EXPECTED - Votes Trump All VOTER DEMOGRAPHICS - Basic Data and Potential Supporters from the FEC PRACTICAL ISSUES MENU BASIC SCHEMATIC: Key Steps to Implement the U.S. Citizens' Initiatives Amendment-HTM ALTERNATIVES: Senator Gravel's National Initiative for Democracy vs. This Plan's Citizens' Initiatives Amendment ASSEMBLY METHOD SUPERIOR to Petitions or Internet for Qualifying Nationwide Initiatives CITIZEN ASSEMBLY Resembles Large Independent Federal Grand Jury ASSEMBLY WISDOM - by Independence, Diversity, Knowledge, Motivation and Secret Vote TYRANNY - Avoiding Risk of Tyranny by the Majority or by a Minority SAFEGUARDS - State Rights, Initiative Quality, Sunset Provision CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES - Guarantee Clause, 2nd Method, Federal Function FISCAL DETAILS - Introduction CAMPAIGN COSTS - Worst to Best Cases ASSEMBLY COSTS - Estimates Based on Actual Costs of B.C. Citizens' Assembly Extrapolated to U.S. Circumstances FINANCIAL BENEFITS - Return on Investment U.S.CITIZENS' INITIATIVE ASSEMLY Suggestions STATE CITIZENS' INITIATIVES ASSEMBLY Alternative to Popular Signature Petitions BACKGROUND - Direct Democracy in Ancient Athens, Switzerland, U.S. ACCESSORY INFORMATION MENU DOWNLOAD KEY DOCUMENTS For Printing and Distribution Cover Page: Documents for Assemblyperson's Information Package-PDF EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - Five-Page Brochure of Plan for U.S. Citizens' Initiatives Amendment-PDF BASIC SCHEMATIC: Key Steps to Implement the U.S. Citizens' Initiatives Amendment-DOC AMENDMENT for Direct Democracy Initiatives to Improve Representative Government-PDF GOVERNMENT ACTIONS Prepare and Convene Initial Citizens' Initiatives Assembly-PDF CITIZENS' INITIATIVES ASSEMBLY - Complete Text of Opening Rules-PDF STATE SUPPORT for the Planned Amendment-PDF Cover Page: Documents for Assemblyperson's Information Package-DOC GENERIC STATE REFERENDUM BILL for an Application to Congress for a Convention to Propose a U.S. Citizens' Initiatives Amendment-PDF EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - Five-Page Brochure of Plan for Calling for a Nationwide "Athenian" Initiatives Amendment to Improve Representative Government-DOC BASIC SCHEMATIC: Key Steps to Implement the U.S. Citizens' Initiatives Amendment-PDF AMENDMENT for Direct Democracy Initiatives to Improve Representative Government-DOC GOVERNMENT ACTIONS Prepare and Convene Initial Citizens' Initiatives Assembly-DOC CITIZENS' INITIATIVES ASSEMBLY - Complete Text of Opening Rules-DOC STATE SUPPORT for the Planned Amendment-DOC GENERIC STATE REFERENDUM BILL for an Application to Congress for a Convention to Propose a U.S. Citizens' Initiatives Amendment-DOC LINKS to Direct Democracy References, Bibliography, Acknowledgements FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions INFORMATION PAGES - Referenced from Other Pages Athenian Constitution Declaration of Independence Annapolis Convention Resolution 1786 Calling for Philadelphia Constitutional Convention 1787 Federalist No. 10 - Founding Fathers' View of the Maximum Size of a Democracy Federalist No. 39 - U.S Constitution is Neither National nor Federal But a Composition of Both Federalist No. 42 - State Citizenship Rights Conferred by the Constitution Federalist No. 43 - Equality Between Amendments Originating in Congress or the States Federalist No. 45 - Alleged Danger from the Powers of the Union to the State Governments Considered Federalist No. 49 - Guarding Against Encroachments by Appealing to the People Through a Convention Federalist No. 85 - Additional Security the Constitution Affords to Republican Government James Madison - Debates in the Federal Convention, June 6th, 1787 James Wilson - Constitutions of the U.S. and of Pennsylvania - Legislative Department, 1790-1791 Gettysburg Address delivered by Abraham Lincoln U.S. Constitution - Preamble U.S. Constitution Article I Section 1: Legislative Powers Vested in Congress U.S. Constitution Article I Section 2: Members Chosen by the People U.S. Constitution Article I Section 3 Clause 6: Senate's Power to Try Impeachments U.S. Constitution Article 1 Section 10 Clause 3: Powers Prohibited of States U.S. Constitution Article 1 Section 8 Clause 18: Necessary and Proper Clause U.S. Constitution Article IV: The States' Guarantee Clause U.S. Constitution Article V: The Amendment Process U.S. Constitution Article VII: Ratification U.S. Constitution Amendment I: Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression U.S. Constitution Amendment X: Powers of the States and the People People's Political Power and Rights Defined in Extracts from State Constitutions Wisconsin Applications for Federal Initiatives Constitutional Amendment - 1911 National Referendum to Declare War - Ludlow Amendment (Jan. 1938) Voter Initiative Constitutional Amendment Hearings - Koupal, S.J. Res 67, 95th Congress (Dec. 1977) Nationwide Initiative and Referendum on Reforming Congress - Hoekstra, 103rd Congress, H5756 (July 1994) Article V Second Method Procedures for State Proposed Constitutional Amendments - Canady Bliley, H.J. Res. 84, 105th Congress, 1998 PST&T v Oregon - Full Text - Constitutionality of Initiative Process Cannot be Decided by Supreme Court, 223 U.S. 118, 1912 Constitutional Convention is Not Bound by State Referendums (or Initiatives). Hawke v Smith, 253 U.S. 221, 1920 U.S. Constitutional Amendment ratification by state referenda - American Political Science Review, Volume XIV, 1920 Mullen v. Howell - Full Text - Ratification of a Federal Amendment Can be Bound by State Referendum - 181 Pac. 920, 1919 Herbring v Brown - Full Text - Ratification of a Federal Amendment Can Not be Bound by State Referendum - 180 Pac. 328, 1919 Maine Opinion of the Justices: ratification of a Federal Amendment cannot be referred to the people of the State, 118 Me. 544, 107 Atl. 673, 1919 Durbin - Full Text - CRS Report for Congress - Amending the U.S. Constitution: by Congress or by Constitutional Convention - 95-589 A, May 1995 Eisenhower 1961 States Cannot Set Term Limit for Their U.S. Congresspersons-Term Limits v Thornton, (93-1456), 514 U.S. 779, 1995 Philadelphia II v. Gregoire holds it is not within state power to enact federal law Cooley - Constitutional Limitations - the Ultimate Sovereignty is in the People, from whom Springs all Legitimate Authority Congress Cannot Give President a Line Item Veto Power-Line Item Veto Act Unconstitutional, (97-1374) 524 U.S. 417, 1998 Quotes by: Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, Roosevelt, Et Al. Use of State Initiatives to Call for a Federal Constitutional Convention City Initiatives in the 20 Largest U.S. Cities States with Initiative Process States with Referendum Process Public Polls Show Strong Support for Nationwide Initiatives California Citizens Assembly Constitutional Amendment 2006 How Democratic Was Athens? by Professor Gerhard Rempel-PDF E-voting and Electoral Participation by Alexander H. Trechsel-PDF State Initiative Project Costs Incumbent Reelection Advantage ACCESSIBILITY for Physical Disability Spanish and Internet Access PRIVACY Policies Used on Web Site COPYRIGHT Rights Reserved but Copies Readily Available ABOUT US - Citizens for U.S. Direct Initiatives, Inc., Washington State PURPOSE of this Web Site GLOSSARY of Specialist Words, Definitions and Constitutional Meanings Help COMPUTER HELP PRINTING HELP BROWSER HELP EMAIL HELP SPANISH LANGUAGE HELP Send Comments Form THANK YOU Notice MISSING PAGE Error Missing Page Error (HTML) ALPHBETICAL INDEX of Web Site Contents Sub Topics Index TABLE OF CONTENTS SEARCH This Site

Don’t just Protest—get Permanent Constitutional Ability to Curb "Big Money" and Repair Congress Main Menu:        Article IV

Accessories Sub Menu:                     Information Pages Sub Menu: Click browser BACK button to return. Declaration of Independence Annapolis 1786 Federalist No. 10 Federalist No. 39 Federalist No. 42 Federalist No. 43 Federalist No. 45 Federalist No. 49 Federalist No. 85 James Madison June 6, 1787 James Wilson 1790-1791 Gettysburg Address Preamble Article I Section 1 Article I Section 2 Article I Section 3 Clause 6 Article I Section 8 Clause 18 Article I Section 10 Clause 3 Article IV Article V Article VII Amendment I Amendment X Extracts from State Constitutions Ludlow 1938 Koupal 1977 Hoekstra 1994 Canady-Bliley 1998 PST&T v Oregon 1912 Cooley - People's Sovereignty Wisconsin Application 1911 Apply by Initiative for Convention  Ratification by State Referenda Mullen v Howell 1919 Herbring v Brown 1919 Maine Opinion of the Justices 1919 Hawke v Smith 1920 Eisenhower  1961 Term Limits v Thornton 1995 Philadelphia II v. Gregoire 1996 Line Item Veto Clinton v NY 1998 CRS Report Durbin May, 1995 Cities with Initiatives States with Initiatives States with Referendums Public Support for Initiatives California Citizens' Assembly How Democratic Was Athens? E-voting and Elections Contingency Initiative Estimate Reelection  Quotations Athenian Constitution     ARTICLE IV OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION THE STATES Article IV Section 1. Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state. And the Congress may by general laws prescribe the manner in which such acts, records, and proceedings shall be proved, and the effect thereof. Section 2. The citizens of each state shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several states. A person charged in any state with treason, felony, or other crime, who shall flee from justice, and be found in another state, shall on demand of the executive authority of the state from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the state having jurisdiction of the crime. No Person held to Service or Labour in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labour, But shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may be due. (This clause is superseded by Amendment XIII.) Section 3. New states may be admitted by the Congress into this union; but no new states shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other state; nor any state be formed by the junction of two or more states, or parts of states, without the consent of the legislatures of the states concerned as well as of the Congress. The Congress shall have power to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory or other property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to prejudice any claims of the United States, or of any particular state. Section 4. The United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be convened) against domestic violence. State referendums, and United States and State initiatives selected or qualified by popular signature petition or Citizens' Initiatives Assembly, are consistent with and not a contravention of a republican form of government. Note: Text added by Section 5.1 of this Amendment is shown as brown underlined characters. The text would avoid lingering debate that initiatives might not be permitted by the Constitution. Notes re Article IV Section 2 Clause 1 - the Comity Clause: The intention of this clause was to help combine the several states into a federal republic. It grants the citizen of one state the privileges and immunities of citizens in the several states. The process is usually called "Interstate Comity". This grant is often unstated in the state constitutions. Georgia is exceptional by specifically authorizing "All citizens of the United States, resident in this state, are hereby declared citizens of this state; and it shall be the duty of the General Assembly to enact such laws as will protect them in the full enjoyment of the rights, privileges, and immunities due to such citizenship." This is important because these privileges thereby transfer to citizens of all states. Notes re Article IV Section 4 - the Guarantee or Guaranty Clause This clause guarantees a republican form of government.

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