Friday, August 05, 2016

[022] ‘MTSU On the Record’ questions ‘Conventional Wisdom’ of amending Constitution


MURFREESBORO — In the aftermath of the national political parties’ conventions, the “MTSU On the Record” radio program will consider the possibility of a different kind of convention.

Host Gina Logue’s interview with John Vile, a political scientist and dean of the University Honors College, will air from 5:30 to 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 1, and from 8 to 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 7, on WMOT-FM (89.5 and www.wmot.org).

Vile is the author of “Conventional Wisdom: The Alternate Article V Mechanism for Proposing Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.” The book examines the portion of the Constitution that allows the states to call a convention to consider amendments to the country’s bedrock legal document.

Under Article V, the states have an option to call a convention to endorse changes that can become part of the Constitution upon ratification by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states or by conventions in three-fourths of the states.

However, Vile said that it remains a matter of conjecture as to just what a national Constitutional convention would look like and how it would be run.

“Many of the people who are most in favor of calling a convention believe that the states would be in complete control,” said Vile. “I don’t believe that … In my judgment, the convention itself probably would settle on most of the rules by which it would be governed.”

To hear previous “MTSU On the Record” programs, go to http://bit.ly/mtsu-otr.

For more information, contact Logue at 615-898-5081 or WMOT-FM at 615-898-2800.


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