• Rhaedas@fedia.io
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    7 hours ago

    They came up with the best thing they could agree on at the time. They did not intend on it to become sacred, untouchable, and without the ability to change with the times, and sometimes we have changed it. Just not quite enough times.

      • Rhaedas@fedia.io
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        6 hours ago

        19 years, in a letter from Jefferson to Madison.

        To James Madison from Thomas Jefferson, 6 September 1789

        He thought that firstly no document or law could be forever relevant, so it needed revisioning occasionally, and the 19 years seems to tie into the idea of each generation taking a new look and either accepting existing laws as still good or making changes.

      • TheReturnOfPEB@reddthat.com
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        5 hours ago

        The French Revolution created an easier method for reforming The Republic and rewriting their constitution.

        They enshrined the revolutionary aspects of revolution instead its leaders.

        That said the Federalists got part of the idea from ancient Lycia on having proportional representation and then added in keeping it in check by another chamber with equal footing.

        https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20230906-the-ancient-civilisation-that-inspired-us-democracy

        It is a good idea. But we need more Congresspersons to lower the people each congressperson represents. It was ~95,000 in 1940 … in 2020 it is closer to 750,000 per congresscritter.