Rereading The Federalist in the 21st Century

Sanford Levinson, Professor of Government and the John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood Jr. Centennial Chair in Law, University of Texas-Austin; Author, An Argument Open to All: Rereading The Federalist in the 21st Century

Renowned legal scholar Sanford Levinson has frequently called for a second constitutional convention to “construct a constitution adequate to our democratic values.“ He says, “The Constitution is supposed to be what will save us, rather than what it really is: the source of many of our ills.… It gives Wyoming the same number of votes as California, which has 70 times the population of the Cowboy State. It offers the president the power to overrule both houses of Congress on legislation he disagrees with on political grounds. Also problematic is the appointment of Supreme Court judges for life. Adding insult to injury, the United States Constitution is the most difficult to amend or update of any constitution currently existing in the world today… Is this a recipe for a republic that reflects the needs and wants of today's Americans?”

Professor Levinson will address whether present generations can rethink their constitutional arrangements; how much effort we should exert to preserve America’s traditional culture; and whether The Federalist’s arguments even suggest the desirability of world government.