In a bold and provocative new work, celebrated historian and New Yorker essayist Jill Lepore issues a clarion call for the most fundamental reform of American democracy: a complete rewriting of the US Constitution.
Her new book, Amend: Reclaiming the Constitution for Our Time, contends that the 18th-century document is no longer fit for purpose in a modern, diverse nation. Lepore argues that its archaic nature and the immense difficulty of the amendment process have created a system that is profoundly undemocratic and resistant to change.
The Case Against a Sacred Text
Lepore challenges the veneration of the Constitution as a near-sacred text, a status she believes shields it from necessary criticism and debate. She meticulously dismantles the notion of the framers as infallible visionaries, pointing instead to the document's origins in compromise and its many inherent flaws, most notoriously its initial acceptance of slavery.
'It's not a sacred text, it's a tool. And it's a broken tool,' Lepore asserts, framing her argument around the urgent need for a functional framework of government.
A Blueprint for a 21st-Century Democracy
Moving beyond critique, Amend offers a visionary blueprint for what a new constitution could achieve. Lepore envisions a document that explicitly enshrines:
- Equal rights for all citizens, closing historic loopholes.
- A decisive overhaul of the electoral system to ensure genuine representative democracy.
- Clear and modern language that establishes robust voting rights and curbs the influence of money in politics.
- A restructuring of governmental branches to reduce deadlock and enhance accountability.
Sparking a National Conversation
While acknowledging the monumental challenge of such an endeavour, Lepore's primary goal is to ignite a long-overdue national conversation. She pushes Americans to move beyond partisan squabbles and confront the foundational source of their political gridlock.
The book is already generating significant buzz, praised for its intellectual rigour, historical depth, and audacious ambition. It is set to become a central text in debates about the future of American governance and the very meaning of democracy in a fractured age.
Amend: Reclaiming the Constitution for Our Time is published by WW Norton and is available now.
