Re: Electoral College & Constitution

[John Cavalieri <jcaval@uidaho.edu>]

	I don't think you give the founding fathers enough credit.

	Consider the following:

What happens when Mexico becomes the world power years in the future (10s
to 100s to 1000s of years), and Mexico decides to take back Texas, since
they had it before the U.S.  Not only that, Texas decides that they would
rather be with Mexico anyways because the U.S. is no longer the world
leader.  Texas being the only State that can secede
(http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ref/abouttx/secession/index.html) can do so
and the Federal government can't fight and the neighboring states can't
fight.  In most countries that would result in war, for example the former
Yugoslavia.

	The U.S., Texas, and Mexico would have to discuss it in a civil
manner.


			John Cavalieri
			jcaval@uidaho.edu

__________________________________________________________________________


On Thu, 14 Dec 2000, Bob Hoffmann wrote:

> I'm not the greatest Constitutional scholar, but it is interesting to 
> consider the context in which the Constitution was originally written.  The 
> Constitution was written in a time when kingdoms within empires sometimes 
> went to war with each other.  Our document forbid states from going to war 
> without the authority of Congress.  This was not intended to only ban wars 
> with foreign powers, but wars among the states themselves.  It is hard to 
> imagine including such a clause in a modern constitution--But ours is not a 
> modern constitution, it is a document from the beginnings of democracy as 
> we know it today.  It is the oldest constitution in effect on the 
> planet.  If we were to re-write it today, I'm sure we would leave out the 
> phrase about states engaging in war.  I find it hard to imagine that we 
> would include an electoral college, also.
> 
> I think the most effective Constitutional protection ensuring that small 
> states are not bullied is the establishment of the Senate:  Two Senators 
> from each state, no matter the size.
> 
> Just rambling....
> 
> Bob Hoffmann
> 846 Mabelle St.
> Moscow, ID  83843
> 
> Tel: 208 883-0642
> Fax: 877 495-2279
>