Unfounded Fears Myths and Realities of a Constitutional Convention

Since the first and only constitutional convention in 1787, twenty-six amendments have been adopted to our basic document, but not one of them became law by virtue of the "convention method." Despite more than 400 applications, no constitutional convention has been called in 202 years. Indeed it was James Madison who wrote, "Having witnessed the difficulties and dangers experienced by the first Convention I should tremble for the result of a Second." In Unfounded Fears: Myths and Realities of a Constitutonal Convention, Weber and Perry present a balanced, scholarly look on this controversial topic and introduce surprising conclusions. Weber and Perry seek to determine if, in fact, the first convention was a "runaway," as common wisdom hold, and they look at the process by which the convention was called. They also review the attempts since 1787 to call a second constitutional convention, and they use this chapter to confront many of the questions that are raised about a potential convention, including the process for electing delegates and the ability of the legislature to establish and control the procedures and substance of what a convention does. In their final chapter, they reflect on the realities of a balanced budget amendment.Weber, Paul J. is the author of 'Unfounded Fears Myths and Realities of a Constitutional Convention' with ISBN 9780275933470 and ISBN 0275933474.