The Thomas Jefferson Amendment

By Roland Adickes

In 1821, Thomas Jefferson foresaw how the US Supreme Court would, over the years, steadily increase the powers of the federal government and reduce the "independent rights" of the states, reserved by the Constitution.

In order to save the Republic, Jefferson proposed an amendment to the Constitution by which the people would have ultimate control over the opinions of the Supreme Court.

The amendment Jefferson proposed was to provide "some practical and impartial control" by "a mixture of State and Federal authorities," enforced by impeachment of individual justices.

Today, two hundred years later, the need for such an amendment is as strong, or even stronger, than it was in Jefferson's time.

But in the context of today's partisan divisions, Jefferson's proposed method of enforcement, by impeachment of a justice, could not be, if ever it was, "practical and impartial control."

We need to focus on correcting specific erroneous opinions, like Kelo v. City of New London (2005), rather than impeaching the justice who committed a few errors, or even a sole error, during his tenure.

This book proposes a constitutional procedure by which the people, acting directly, can overrule erroneous opinions and, over time, cut back the "administrative state" which threatens the unique form of government by delegated and enumerated powers created by the Founders.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9798889603238

Book preview

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The Thomas Jefferson Amendment

Roland Adickes

Copyright © 2023 Roland Adickes

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2023

ISBN 979-8-88960-312-2 (pbk)

ISBN 979-8-88960-323-8 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Two hundred years ago Thomas Jefferson foresaw what would happen to the Founders' Constitution if the people did not have ultimate control over the decisions of the Supreme Court. Jefferson proposed an amendment to give them such a power. That proposal, coming from one of the most eminent Founders, could fairly be considered today as a living part of our heritage from the Founders and as a call to action.

THE THOMAS JEFFERSON AMENDMENT

THE THOMAS JEFFERSON AMENDMENT

About the Author

Two hundred years ago Thomas Jefferson foresaw what would happen to the Founders' Constitution if the people did not have ultimate control over the decisions of the Supreme Court. Jefferson proposed an amendment to give them such a power. That proposal, coming from one of the most eminent Founders, could fairly be considered today as a living part of our heritage from the Founders and as a call to action.

THE THOMAS JEFFERSON AMENDMENT

(It should be our 28th Amendment)

In 1821, five years before his death, Thomas Jefferson called for ultimate control of the US Supreme Court's decisions by the people in order to save the Republic.

The aged Jefferson saw what was at risk:

But there was another amendment,

of which none of us thought at the

time, and in the omission of