Part Three: Amendment

The last amendment to the Constitution was in 1992, when the 27th Amendment was passed. It was quite a simple amendment: Congress cannot give itself a raise without the direct approval of the people.

It would not be shocking to see some sort of amendment in the 2020s. 

Ted Cruz and five other senators recently introduced a proposal imposing term limits for legislators. The idea of term limits is popular among certain voters, and many see it as a way to reduce corruption. Because of the 1995 Supreme Court case, term limits can only be addressed through Constitutional amendments. Support for such an amendment could continue to rally if corruption allegations persist. 

Although the current government is very unlikely to even consider term limits, a power shift or two will occur again this decade. The next shift in power could very much create the vacuum necessary to cause a term limit amendment. 

Additionally, climate activists argue that the Fifth Amendment guarantees clean air and water. They also argue that the government should be held accountable for the damages done to the planet and its willingness to allow fossil fuel production, despite knowing the consequences.

Seeing that the next generation supports government involvement in different areas, the climate amendment could certainly pass with the current government. 

There have been varying levels of supports for certain other amendments. 

After gun violence and mass shootings crippled communities in the 2010s, support for repealing and replacing the Second Amendment was strong. It was coupled with support for banning AR-15’s, instituting mandatory background checks, and legislating other forms of gun control. America leads the world in guns per capita and total guns, making this basically impossible to enforce. 

Needless to say, all of these amendments would be highly controversial due to the divided nature of the country, and it’s not unlikely that the divisiveness will only get worse.