Constitution 2.

0
by Publius

Constitution 2.0
By Publius

Contact: WriteToPublius@gmail.com

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercialShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-ncsa/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative1 Commons, 444 Castro Street, Suite 900, Mountain View, California, 94041, USA.

First Printing Draft 1, March, 2012

The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government. George Washington, 1796

The people made the Constitution, and the people can unmake it. It is the creature of their own will, and lives only by their will. John Marshall, 1821

Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is a most valuable,a most sacred righta right, which we hope and believe, is to liberate the world. Abraham Lincoln, 1848

How many years can some people exist before theyre allowed to be free? Bob Dylan, 1962

We face the future fortified with the lessons we have learned from the past. It is today that we must create the world of the future. Eleanor Roosevelt, 1963

Free at last! Free at last!we are free at last! Martin Luther King, Jr., 1963

And you and you and you, you have to give people hope. Harvey Milk, 1978

Constitution 2.0

I. Introduction
We have a dream: That we will be treated equally. That we have a right to health, happiness, liberty, privacy, dignity, safety, peace. That we are free to express our opinion, preference, joy, anger, dissent, belief, vote. That each of us deserves a fair shake, a clean place to live, healthy food, a superior education, a safe, meaningful job, loving care when were sick, in need or old. That our government is created of us, by us and for us.

That our elected representatives will serve us, listen to us, be open and honest with us and be accountable to us. We dream of a place filled with friendly, trustworthy, cooperative, understanding, welcoming, helpful and humble people who seek harmonious coexistence with all that lives. With this Constitutionwhich establishes a country called Freedom we realize our dream.

II. Definitions
Abortion: Terminating a pregnancy before birth. Adult: A human who is eighteen years of age or older. Appeal: Applying to a higher court for a reversal of the decision of a lower court. Assemble: Gather together. Bill: A draft of a proposed law. Cabinet: A committee of really smart advisors to the President. Census: An official count of the human population. Citizen: A human born in Freedom or naturalized into citizenship.

Citizens Rights: Rights a citizen has in addition to human rights. Constitution: This documentthe blueprint of Freedom's government. Constitutional: In accordance with the Constitution. Copyright: The exclusive legal right for a limited period of time to profit from an artistic work. Court: A body of people before whom judicial cases are heard. District: A geographic division of Freedom that elects one person as its Representative in Congress. Election: A procedure where people vote and select someone for an elected/political office.

Electronic: Digitally/online/via some kind of computer/handheld device. Espionage: Spying. Felony: A grave/violent crime. Foreign: Somewhere outside of Freedom. Freedom: The name of our country. The geographic boundaries are the same as those of the former The United States. Grand Jury: A jury of Freedom citizens selected to examine the validity of an accusation prior to a trial. Homo Sapiens: The taxonomic name of our species.

Human: A member of the homo sapiens species that has been born. Human Rights: Rights a human has, citizen of Freedom or not. Jury: A group of people sworn to give a verdict on the basis of evidence presented in court. Law: A rule that humans living in Freedom must follow and that is enforced by the imposition of penalties. What a bill becomes. Liaison: Someone who facilitates communication and cooperation between people. Majority: More than half.

Median: The midpoint value of a frequency distribution of observed values. Naturalization: The process a human goes through to become a citizen of Freedom. Net Worth: Total assets minus total liabilities. Office: A job in Freedom's government that a citizen is elected to for a term of years. Pardon: A remission of the legal consequences of an offense or conviction of a crime. Patent: An exclusive legal right for a limited period of time to profit from an invention.

People: See Human. Represent: To speak and vote for the interests of humans in your district in Congress as an elected Representative. Reprieve: A cancellation of a punishment. Right: A human or citizen's right. Subsidize: Pay part of the cost of something to reduce its price. Term: The limited number of years a citizen serves as an elected official. The United States of America (or The United States): The previous name of our country.

Tie: When the top two or more candidates for an elected office receive the exact same number of votes. Trial: A formal examination of evidence (before a jury and court) in order to decide guilt/fault in a criminal or civil case. Veto: What The President does to reject all or part of a bill sent to The President by Congress. Vote: What each citizen of Freedom does to indicate his or her choice between two or more candidates for an elected office.

III. Our Human Rights

Protection of Our Human Rights

Our human rights are sacred and no law may be passed nor any action taken by: our government at any level a business human(s) that takes away, limits, suspends, changes, undermines or contradicts these rights in any way. Our human rights are permanent and will survive this Constitution and/or any future form of government forever.

Our Understanding of Our Human Rights

We acknowledge and accept that we may not express or take advantage of our human rights in a way that takes away, limits, suspends, changes, undermines or contradicts someone elses rights.

Our Communication
We may communicate anything to anyone at any time using any method. We may also remain silent.

Our Beliefs
We may practice and/or express any belief system (or lack thereof) we choose. Our government will be free of any vestige of religion and superstition at all levels.

Our Movement
With respect for privacy and private property, our physical movement may not be restricted, abridged or controlled unless weve been lawfully convicted of a crime and/or are in jail.

Our Family
We (Adults) may live in any family arrangement we choose.

No Torture
We will never be tortured.

Our Privacy
We will be secure in our privacy from our government at all levels and from other people and businesses. No one will trespass on our bodies, housing, private property, personal space and/or personal information without our permission. We will not have any of the above searched or seized without: 1. A warrant issued by a court of law that details what is being searched for and the specific place that will be searched 2. Probable cause

Only in extreme cases of national security or safety may Freedom take our housing or private property (it) and, if taken, we will be paid the greater of the following: 1. The appraised value of it times two 2. What was paid for it times two

Our Legal Protection

If we are accused of a crime: 1. We are innocent until proven guilty. 2. We may speak to an attorney immediately. 3. If we cant afford an attorney, a free, conveniently-located, high-quality attorney will quickly be appointed to us. 4. We may never be questioned without an attorney present.

5. We cannot be tried for a crime unless a Grand Jury, by majority vote, decides that we should be. 6. We cant be tried for the same crime nor sued for the same civil matter more than once. 7. We cant be forced to testify against ourselves. 8. We will receive a speedy, public trial by an impartial jury in or near the geographic area where the crime was alleged to be committed.

9. We will be informed immediately and in detail everything weve been accused of. 10. We will be allowed to hear and question witnesses who testify against us and to call witnesses in our defense. 11. Excessive or cruel bail, fines, punishments and/or prison sentences wont be imposed on us. 12. We will have the right to appeal a courts decision to a higher court and even to The Supreme Court.

13. If we are jailed (while awaiting trial or after being found guilty of a crime), we will be given a meaningful existence in a clean, safe place.

Peaceful Assembly
We may non-violently assemble for any reason in any public place for any length of time.

Access to Information
Our government at all levels will be 100% transparent, excluding information that takes away, limits, changes, suspends, undermines or contradicts someones rights. Any information requested by us about our government will be provided within 24 hours. Freedom will build and maintain a free, self-service, always-on, electronic system that allows instant access to all government information for all people, wherever they live.

Our Health
We will receive free, expedient, convenient, high-quality health and medical care of any kind whenever we need or want it. If we cannot provide ourselves or those living with us with enough healthy food and drink, it will be provided to us. If we cannot care for ourselves, we will be cared for.

Our Education
We will receive free, expedient, convenient, high-quality education for as long as we need or want it.

Our Work
We will be given meaningful, paid, conveniently-located work to do in a clean and safe environment for as long as we need or want it. If we cannot work or if no job is available we will get unemployment pay (at no less than the minimum hourly wage/salary) for up to three years. We will be given equal pay for equal work. We may form and/or join unions for the protection of our job/workplacerelated interests/grievances.

The minimum hourly wage for any job will be based on this formula: The median annual income of all individual Freedom citizen-workers from the previous year / 50 (weeks worked per year) / 40 (hours worked per week) = the minimum hourly wage. The minimum annual salary for any job will be the median annual income of all individual Freedom workers from the previous year.

Our Home
Superior quality, safe, clean and affordable housing will always be made available to us. None of us need be homeless.

A Clean, Sustainable Environment

We will be provided a clean, safe, and sustainable environment in which to live and work. Our current system of public, national and state parks and other protected natural resources may never be reduced, only expanded. Freedom will always use only renewable energy and other resources. Freedom will only use organic farming methods. Everything in Freedom will be re-used or recycled.

Our Death
We have the right to die how we choose and on our own terms.

Our Life
We may not be killed.

Citizenship
People born in Freedom are citizens of Freedom forever. People not born in Freedom will be provided a simple, free way to become a naturalized citizen of Freedom in two years or less. Freedom citizenship may never be revoked.

Other Rights
Rights not explicitly given in this Constitution to Freedom's government will be our (the peoples) rights. Freedom's government (and any other level of government) may not create or enforce laws that reverse, contradict, undermine, conflict with, suspend, and/or abridge people's rights or the powers given to Freedom as detailed in this Constitution.

IV. Citizen's Rights

Right to Vote
We (adult citizens) may vote in elections for The President, The Vice President, Judges and Representatives in Congress (in the Congressional district in which we live). There may be no other requirement for, restriction to or abridgment of our right to vote besides being an adult citizen. We may exercise the equivalent of a Presidential veto (or override a Presidential veto) if a majority of us vote to do so.

We may reverse the vote of our Representative in Congress if a majority of those of us who live in that representatives district vote to do so. We may reverse a Freedom court decision if a majority of us vote to do so. We may remove a national elected official from office if a majority of us vote to do so. We may remove our Representative in Congress if a majority of those of us who live in that Representatives district vote to do so.

Right to Change This Constitution

We may ask that our Constitution be changed or peacefully change it ourselves if a majority of us vote to do so. Any change to our Constitution may be brought to a vote if ten percent of us sign a petition requesting such a vote. Our Constitution is a living document and may be modified in whole or in part.

V. Citizen's Duties

Taxes
We will pay taxes which will be used to run Freedom according to this Constitution. We will be taxed progressively in proportion to our income. We wont create or take advantage of any loopholes in the law to avoid paying taxes. Computing taxes we owe will be easy, almost effortless and free of charge.

Volunteer Service
After we become adults but before we reach the age of twenty-five we will serve for two consecutive, full years in a national, non-military, Volunteer Corps.

Voting
We will vote in every national election and for our Representative in Congress.

VI. Elections

Qualifications
The qualifications for all Freedom elected offices are: 1. You are a citizen who lives in Freedom 2. You are an adult 3. You have never held a Freedom elected office 4. You have never been convicted of a felony

Elected Offices
Freedoms national elected offices are: 1. President 2. Vice President 3. Judges Freedoms district elected offices are Congressional Representatives. Elected officials will be paid the minimum annual salary and receive no other benefits or remuneration while in office. Elected officials will work at least 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year.

Elected officials will serve for one term of four years. The term will start on January 1st of the first year and end on December 31st of the fourth year. Elected officials may not have any other job while an elected official. Elected officials are not immune from any civil or criminal case against him or her while in office. If the elected official is convicted of any criminal case, he or she will be immediately removed from office. Elected officials will be held accountable in all international, criminal courts that Freedom takes part in.

Elections and Voting

Anyone who meets the qualifications for elected officials may run for office. Any candidate who collects signatures from ten percent of the population of Freedom (for a national election) or of the candidates district (for a Congressional election) may get on the ballot for that election. Signatures must be collected for every individual election from every candidate. For every election, every citizen will cast one vote.

For every election, whichever candidate gets the most votes wins. In case of a tie, the winner will be chosen randomly. All voting shall be done electronically, in a way that voters can conveniently, fairly, accurately and securely vote from wherever they happen to be. Election results shall be reported publicly and in real-time. Election days shall be paid, national holidays.

Campaign Financing
Candidates may not accept private donations of any kind for election campaigns. Candidates for a national office will be given money equivalent to ten times the elected office annual salary to use for the election campaign. Congressional candidates will be given money equivalent to twice the elected office annual salary to use for the election campaign. No other money or resources of any kind may be used for election campaigning by anyone anywhere in any way.

Candidates for a national office must spend the campaign money equally across the entire country of Freedom and may not give preference to any city, state or district. Candidates for a Congressional office must spend the campaign money equally across their entire district and may not give preference to any portion of the district. Candidates must disclose publicly every campaign expenditure. Elected officials may never campaign for candidates while in office.

Term Limits
Once a citizen of Freedom is elected to one Freedom elected office, that citizen may never again be a candidate for another Freedom elected office.

Removal From Office

Any elected official may be removed from office if convicted of a felony or for lying. Any elected official may be removed from office if a majority of citizens or Congress vote to remove the elected official. If an elected official dies while in office or is removed by a vote of citizens or Congress there will immediately be an election to fill the elected office.

The President
There will be one elected office called The President of Freedom. (The President) The duties and powers of The President are: To be chief enforcer of The Constitution To sign (into law) bills passed by Congress that The President approves of To veto (not sign into law) bills The President doesnt approve of

To line-item veto: The President may veto only portions of a bill and sign the rest into law To be chief enforcer of laws written by Congress that have been signed by a President To be the commander-inchief of Freedoms defensive military forces and of the Volunteer Corps To grant pardons and reprieves to convicted criminals (except in the case of Removal From Office proceedings against elected officials) To make treaties with other

countries with the vote of two-thirds or more of Congress To be the primary liaison between Freedom and other countries To appoint ambassadors to other countries with the majority vote of Congress To be the primary point of communication between Freedom and its citizens To establish a Presidential cabinet of unpaid advisors that will counsel The President on how best to meet the needs of Freedom's citizens

To give a monthly, public State of the Union address detailing the current state of affairs in Freedom

If The President dies, is deemed incapable of being The President (by The President or by citizens) or is removed from office, the Vice President will become The President. If The Vice President becomes the President this way there will immediately be an election to select a new Vice President. If The President-Elect dies before taking office, The Vice-PresidentElect will become The PresidentElect.

If The President-Elect and The Vice-President-Elect both die before taking office, there will immediately be an election to select a new President and Vice President.

The Vice President

There will be one elected public servant called The Vice President of Freedom. (The Vice President) The duties and powers of the Vice President are: To become The President should The President no longer be The President for reasons listed above. To be the secondary liaison between Freedom and other countries. To be the secondary point of communication between Freedom and its citizens.

If The Vice President dies, is deemed incapable of being The Vice President (by The President, The Vice President or by Congress) or is removed from office, there will immediately be an election to select a new Vice President. If The Vice President-Elect dies before taking office, there will immediately be an election to select a new Vice President.

VII. Congress

Representatives of Congress
There will be many elected officials called Representatives of Congress. (The Representatives or members of Congress) The duties and powers of The Representatives are: To write, rewrite, propose and vote on the bills/laws used to run Freedom per this Constitution. To write, rewrite, propose and vote on Freedom's annual budget.

To write, rewrite, propose and vote on laws related to Freedom's interactions with other countries. When required, remove The President, The Vice President or members of Congress by a two-thirds majority vote. Keep a record of everything that happens in Congress using the Congressional Management System.

Congress will be a leaderless body and all members of Congress will have equal powers. Congress may not write laws that retroactively take effect.

If a member of Congress dies, is deemed incapable of being a member of Congress (by Congress or by citizens) or is removed from office, there will immediately be an election to select a new member of Congress in that district.

Districts
There will be one Representative of Congress for every 10,000 or so humans living in Freedom. Each Representative of Congress will represent one Congressional District. Congressional Districts will be created automatically by computers and evenly spaced (as much as possible), population-wise, across Freedom. Every ten years, a national census will be taken and adjustments will be made to the shape and quantity of Congressional districts, as needed, by computers.

The Congressional Management System

Freedom will create an electronic system that Representatives of Congress and their staff will use to manage all day-to-day operations of Congress. Representatives of Congress and their staff may access this system from anywhere at any time to do their work.

How A Bill Becomes a Law

The following are the steps Congress and The President shall use to create laws (using the Congressional Management System): 1. Anyone may propose a bill. 2. A bill must concern only one specific subject. 3. A bill must be written in plain language. 4. Proposed bills shall be posted publicly for 60 days to allow anyone to read them.

5. During the 60-day waiting period and anytime thereafter, all members of Congress may post responses to the bill for anyone to view, read or hear. 6. For every bill, every member of Congress will vote on whether they want the bill to be taken to all of Congress for a vote to approve turning the bill into a law. 7. Starting with bills with the most votes cast in step #6, Congress will vote on whether to approve turning the bill into a law.

8. A bill is approved to become a law when a majority of members of Congress vote to make it so. 9. Approved bills are then sent to The President for signature or veto/rejection. 10. Bills signed by The President immediately become a law. If The President doesn't sign or veto a bill within seven days of receiving it, the bill becomes a law. 11. If The President vetoes all or part of an approved bill, Congress may override the veto (and turn the approved bill into law) if two-thirds of Congress vote to do so.

VIII.The Courts
There were will be one Supreme Court made up of nine elected judges. There will be many inferior (to the Supreme Court) district courts such that one is always conveniently located to all parts of Freedom. There will be many elected public servants called Judges. The duties and powers of Judges are: To preside over all criminal and civil court cases

To interpret the Constitution by comparing laws to the Constitution and deciding whether they are Constitutional or not

All criminal and civil cases will be a trial by jury. All trials will take place as near to the scene of the alleged crime (or the locality of parties in a civil case) as possible. If a Judge dies, is deemed incapable of being a Judge (by Congress or by citizens) or is removed from office, there will immediately be an election to select a new Judge.

IX. Freedom's Finances

Freedom: Will be run with a balanced annual budget where expenses may never exceed income Will base budgeted income on the actual income of the previous year Will never spend money it doesnt have Will never spend money on credit Will never borrow money

Will never mint money in order to balance the budget or to increase its income Will create a non-profit, national credit union that any citizen may join that offers the best financial services and rates to citizens and Freedom's businesses Will create a plan to eliminate existing debt in 50 years or less Will honor existing debts and financial obligations to Freedom's citizens and to other countries

Will always strive to create national, unified systems to run Freedom with maximum efficiency, effectiveness and to eliminate waste and redundancy Will not spend money outside Freedom that doesnt directly benefit Freedom's citizens in a significant way

Commerce
There will be one, national currency. There will be one, national standard of weights and measures. Freedom may not subsidize or bail out any human or business. Ownership of patents and copyrights on intellectual property will last no longer than five years. Life may not be patented. No business may falsely advertise a product or service. No business may create a job outside Freedom if there are jobless people inside Freedom.

No business may have a net worth of more than 10,000 times the minimum annual salary. No human may have a net worth of more than 1,000 times the minimum annual salary. Monopolies are prohibited. Businesses will prioritize making Freedom and the world a better place before profit.

X. Foreign Policy

Peace
Freedom will deal peacefully with the rest of the world. Declaring war or acting in an aggressive or war-like manner is prohibited. Spying or espionage of any kind is prohibited.

Defense
Freedom will maintain a minimum defensive military force. Freedom will vigorously protect Freedom territory and citizens, but only in self-defense and selfpreservation. The defensive force will never leave Freedom territory. Freedom's defensive force will be completely disbanded when all threats to Freedom's territory and citizens no longer exist. Freedom will not keep or use any long-range weapons or weapons of mass destruction.

World Citizenship
Freedom will cooperate with the rest of the world in international treaties and efforts related to protecting human rights, increasing standards of living and human health, sharing prosperity, justice and peace. Freedom will participate in international criminal courts, The United Nations, and other international bodies of peace, justice, solidarity and mutual understanding. Freedom will honor all treaties made by the former United States except any that promise offensive military support of any kind.

Freedom will honor a foreign country's courts and laws, but only if human rights in that country are no less than Freedom's human rights. Freedom, its people and its businesses may not transact business or have relations with countries that do not protect human rights as Freedom does. Freedom will engage in free trade with foreign countries that are interested.

XI. Miscellaneous
Abortions may never be prohibited. Elected officials, employees of any level of government and members of law enforcement must always tell the truth. Any kind of marketing must be opt-in. Freedom will build and maintain a free, national transportation system. Freedom will be a champion and supporter of the arts and sciences and will maintain national and regional: Theaters Orchestras/musical groups

Operas Artistic/Scientific academies Choirs Cinemas Ballets Literary Organizations Art, history and other museums Other arts and sciences groups desired by Freedom's citizens

XII. Approval
Upon a vote of approval of a majority of United States citizens, this Constitution will go into effect, superseding the previous U. S. Constitution in its entirety.

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