The Collected Thoughts and Musings of an Aspiring Political Philosopher

Monday, January 23, 2012

Proposed 28th Amendment (by John Cline)

I. A person shall be defined as an individual living self-aware being or one whom, barring mental or physical disability, would otherwise be considered such; and, only a person can be guaranteed the rights and responsibilities embodied in this Constitution of the United States.

II. Only a person may financially participate in the political process within the United States, including providing political contributions, advertising for or against candidates or causes, or providing either sitting office-holders or candidates for office financial incentives for any political action or inaction. Gifts in any amount or kind, be it financial or physical, to any sitting office-holder or candidate for office which are determined to have been used to exact political action or inaction are strictly prohibited and may result in legal action, up to and including imprisonment.

III. Political campaigns at all levels shall be publicly funded by taxpayer contributions to a general election fund which shall reside in and be managed by the United States Treasury in coordination with the Federal Elections Commission. Persons may voluntarily contribute up to a maximum of twenty-five hundred dollars per candidate of their choice, inflation-adjusted for 2012 dollars. For national office, the maximum general election fund amount per candidate shall be limited by Congress as deemed appropriate to the nature of the campaign, and for each type of office an equal share shall be allocated to each candidate regardless of party affiliation. Each State legislature shall determine state-wide general fund needs and solicit the Treasury for the necessary amounts, to be distributed by the State as needed for state-wide and local elections. Any general election funds left unused must be returned to the Treasury within sixty days after the end of the election; all funds collected by candidates from private donations shall be used only for future campaign needs and shall not be used for personal expenses or investments.

IV. The President of the United States shall be elected by a majority vote. Further, all Congressional Districts shall be drawn by non-partisan public committees within six months of the enactment of this Amendment and within six months of the return of United States Census results each decade.

V. Banks shall be separated according to their types of business, commercial or investment, and no coordination between the two shall occur. Commercial institutions shall have their customer deposits protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or a similar entity. Investment institutions shall be liable for their own losses and the United States government and the taxpayers shall not be responsible for such losses.

VI. Given that the health of the nation is bound to the health of the people, and that inadequate healthcare can seriously endanger the security of the nation, Congress shall enact a universal single-payer taxpayer-funded healthcare system for all. Such a system shall fully cover the costs of any procedure deemed involuntary in nature; voluntary procedures such as cosmetic surgery will not be covered unless it is required to repair damage or improve physical function. Prescription drugs shall be purchased from the safest and least expensive source whether domestic or international.