AP Government Post #2


To receive full credit, use the rubric provided.  This discussion post will close on Wednesday, January 23 at 5:00 PM.

The Constitution was ratified in 1789.  Since 1791 it has been changed only 17 times.  Is the Constitution outdated?  Should it be changed?  Should it stay the same?  Is there anything that needs to be added?  What are the most important principles outlined in the Constitution?

If you are not sure of what exactly is in the Constitution, you may read it here.  United States Constitution

94 thoughts on “AP Government Post #2

  1. Based on the question as to if I believe the constitution is outdated I would say yes I do. The writers of the constitution instructed us as future generations to make changes to the constitution to fit current society. There are many things that no longer fit today’s construct of society. So I do believe it needs to be changed. I currently do not have any new additions that need to be added to the constitution however I do believe they should add new things to the constitution constantly to fit the current time.

    • I agree. Although I can’t currently think of anything that should be added, if there are big obstacles that society faces in the future, the constitution should be changed/manipulated in ways that would benefit the people.

    • If you do not know or believe of any additions does that mean for you that the Constitution is well enough to work into today’s society? Why do you think people haven’t followed the wish to consistently update the Constitution but only 17 times in about 200years?

    • Your point is interesting but I can’t seen to fully support your argument. You say that the Constitution is outdated and needs to be changed yet you can’t think of an specific example, if you can’t think of an example is it possible that there is nothing wrong with it, the document has existed for 200+ years and has only been changed 17 times, yo me this seems like the document is doing its job and will continue to do its job. Do you have any idea on what you would rewrite or change?

    • I disagree with what you are saying mainly because if you can’t find nothing wrong with the Constitution or you cannot find a change or an addition to the Constitution then perhaps maybe it is updated. Also addressing your point about the writers wanting future generations to help amend the Constitution I feel as though they wanted that if there was an amendment needed which currently there is not.

    • I completely agree The Constitution is outdated and needs changes. In the time that the Constitution was written when people who still road around on horses the world has changed so much in the past 200 years

    • I agree, the writers of the constitution most likely knew that the world would progress in a different way, and intended for the constitution to be changed in a way to fit it according to that society.

    • I agree that the constitution is outdated and that the writers instructed us to make changes. I also agree that there really aren’t any pressing concerns about the Constitution, but if we need to change anything we should.

  2. If the constitution has been changed only 17 times within 228 years, I would say that it holds up fairly well. As the constitution is self correcting in its nature “in order to form a perfect union, establish justice and ensure domestic liberty” what ever the people have to do to keep their country just and fair, the constitution will serve their need.

    • I agree with your statement. It has a pretty good track record for being around so long. It has stood the test of time with only minimal changes.

  3. Although the constitution has only been changed 17 times since 1791, I personally believe that the constitution is not outdated, nor should it be changed. It has been working since it was created and it seems like it will continue to work and do its job. However, as time goes on and new issues come up, if the people believe that there are changed to be made, I trust them and myself. I believe that the most important thing is that there is freedom for all citizens.

    • You have great points in your argument and are very convincing. I really liked how you brought up that as time goes on that there will be new issues that present themselves. Especially with cellphones and new earphones and newer technology that comes out every year.

    • I agree, the Constitution does its job well. Although it may have some flaws, I believe that if push comes to shove the document can be changed, hopefully for the better.

    • I like your points. The constitution was created for the people and it seems to be working. It has been altered to follow the times and held up great.


    • I agree with what you said about the Constitution not being outdated, but I also feel that we should make it a bigger deal to sit down, review, and amend the Constitution every few years (even if it is only once a decade) because our country and the world in general is expanding and developing at an exponential rate, and we may not realize that something in the Constitution would benefit from being amended.

  5. Considering that the constitution has only been changed 17 times since being created, I believe that it is currently doing the job it was intended to do. It currently does not need to be changed, but as time goes on the future generations will need to change it. The United States is advancing every day and some of the content in the constitution will no longer be prominent.

    • Why don’t you think things need to be changed now? I do agree the United States are advancing as a country everyday, but wouldn’t that mean action needs to happen?

  6. The United States Constitution was written over 200 years ago, it is past time that the Constitution be updated. The idea that our Constitution was written by men who road horse and owned slaves means the world they lived in is completely different then the current state of technology and Internet abilities. The founders of the United States intend for the Constitution to be updated every so often. The fact that no where in the Constitution talks about digital media is appalling. We as a nation need to be educated enough to stand up and demand that the we review and change the Constitution.

    • I agree with you, but I don’t believe that the entire Constitution should be revised. Some clauses are still relevant today while others are not. I believe we should update only what is necessary.

    • I disagree, while it was written over 200 years ago, I don’t think it is necessary for there to be anything concerning media. To me, adding something about the media is irrelevant, we should only be adding and changing the things that are absolutely necessary.

    • While the Constitution is not necessarily outdated, since some of the clauses offer flexibility to be interpreted accordingly, I agree with you in that it is far from flawless, since our necessities(such as technology) changed dramatically since when this document was first drafted. In addition, it has some shortcomings in regard to situations like political gridlocks and the presidential election, the latter which does not necessarily work in the favor of those endorsed by the majority due to the voting power of the citizens in each state.

      • I agree, the constitution is not perfect. The rapid advancements in technology and those arguments that have shutdown the government have proven that constantly throughout the centuries.However, it has adapted well to these changes and will continue to do so.

    • Your point is very interesting however there’s a difference between the Constitution being old and outdated as for your point about digital media what pertaining to digital media would you add to the Constitution?The way I see the Constitution is a general document for the whole entire United States so if we were to add digital media we would be adding every little single thing that is produced in society and at that point I feel like the United States Constitution would lose its value.

    • your ideas are very interesting and the part where you say that white men wrote these ideas who owned slaves and ride horses, does stand out as a reason to update these rights as there is slightly more racial equality. BUT, the part where you say that internet ideas should be incorporated kind of lost me??? While today’s society is very dependent on the internet and what you can do through it, im not sure that it is THAT important to be written in. What might be added about the internet?

    • I agree. The founding fathers had no idea how far we would have advanced and therefore never tackled such issues. Technology is a gray area nowadays because as no where in the constitution does it talk about it and the government doesn’t know how to properly deal with it.

    • I agree with your ideas, the world back then was nothing to the society we live in today. Their constitution would fit best in their era, but in a modern era, it should be amended and revised to fit to the modern average citizen.

    • I agree that the Constitution is really old. Technology and modern ideas have changed the United States in ways that the founders couldn’t imagine. At some point in the future we should change the constitution.

  7. I don’t believe that the Constitution is outdated because it was made about 230 years ago, and only 17 new additions have been made. Overall I believe that the Constitution should remain the same, but there are some clauses that should be changed. For example in Article I Section II Clause II it states that a Representative has to be over the age of 25 to represent their state. I think that the age should be lowered to 23 because younger representatives are able to and appeal and persuade the younger audience. Younger representatives could promote new ideas and look at certain situations from a different perspective. This change could encourage the younger generation to vote and be more active in the government.

    • I believe that’s an amazing idea that you have there. I liked the way you went about it as well. Younger audiences need to vote more and should be more concerned and if younger people can be in government positions, then surely others will follow. And maybe with newer technology, there will be more adjustments to the Constitution.

    • I really like your idea on lowering the age of a representative for the purpose of having the attention of a younger audience. The younger generations should be more involved in government decisions than they are currently and I think that this may be a good start to incorporating younger ideas.

    • I agree that getting younger Representatives can allow for more changes and promote new ideas. I was really wondering if that is the only thing you see that needs changing? I know you said the Constitution is not out dated but don’t you think there is more that needs to be updated outside of the age? Just my personal opinion but there is a lot that we as a country we need to sit down and review the Constitution

  8. The Constitution is a very well written document that highlights key components to our government and civil structure, therefore changes that some person would want to add or subtract should be heavily scrutinized, as changing it would mean that the original 10 weren’t good enough.

    • I agree with you, but I believe some of the other amendments should be revised as they are outdated now.

    • I agree that amendments should be heavily scrutinized, but I don’t think that Constitution is a document that does not have weak areas that could benefit from being amended. The likelihood of everyone agreeing to a certain amendment or the amendment of the Constitution actually happening are probably pretty low, but I do believe that us as citizens in the U.S. could definitely benefit from changes.

  9. The most important principles in the Constitution are the concept of checks and balances which differed our society with the British at the time. As well as many amendments that are added to it such as the right to bear arms and no slavery. Then again it’s also very important to know how the Supreme Court Officials, State Senators and the President are elected or chosen. So every part of the Constitution is important. Hence why it was written in it. Though it is outdated. We can add amendments that will fix any ongoing issues that we as a society are facing today. Such as what defines a national emergency. Or how immigration should be handled.

  10. Since 1791 to now over 200 years have passed and the Constitution has only been changed 17 times. New technology is said to develop about every 10 years or so. In what seems such a short time period durastic changes have occurred. So yes, I believe the Constitution should have some updates that make sense with today’s America. I believe each amendment is important in it’s own way because they’re specific on certain subject, such as drinking age, right to bear arms, freeedom of speech etc.

  11. The Constitution is a bit outdated, some loopholes need to be closed like how the President can make treaties around Congress by using ‘executive agreements’. Also, I believe the electoral college needs to be changed as it makes some votes more powerful than others. I think it should either change to a popular vote system so each vote is equal or to where the electoral votes of each state get divided to each candidate based on the percentage that voted for each candidate based on that state. Otherwise, the Constitution layout for the government is excellent as it spreads power in system of checks and balances which is essential for this country.

    • I agree that the Constitution is a bit outdated. Like you mentioned before there are loopholes to the constitution. For instance, the President is capable of declaring an emergency situation of the need to build a wall as an emergency. However, the Constitution never did specify what constitutes a state of emergency. Furthermore, another thing that is outdated by the constitution is that it does indicate any basic forms of right for the usage of the internet. It does not provide any basic structure for internet privacy and user’s rights.

  12. Although the Constitution is over 200 years old it has lasted a long time for a reason. The main purpose of the Constitution was to establish the government and the basic rights of people. The basic structure of our government has worked well, even though we have had to make some amendments like ending slavery and letting women vote. The Electoral College might be outdated, especially because modern technology has made counting votes way easier, but other than that the Constitution has worked fairly well for a long time. If a big change is needed, than it should be done but currently the Constitution is still effective.

    • I agree. The constitution was made to last! It encompasses everything that is needed to protect the natural rights of the people. In what ways do you think the electoral college should change to adapt to modern society and technology?

  13. I do believe the Constitution is outdated and should be edited and added on to to fit today’s needs. Today’s society is vastly different from the last updated time being 1992 (which didn’t change much but a senators and representers rules). I think there does need to be an outline on the current affairs of the government and how it was swayed far away from the original ideals of a government as well as a way to better include the youth into the government as statistically , younger people aren’t as evolved leaving the power to people who may not see the consequences of their actions and how it effects the Nation.

    • Interesting point you have there but how would you propose to do this? How would you get the Government to make younger people be involved, because I am a younger person and if the government came and told me I needed to be more involved, I would tell them to take a long walk off a short pier. The founding ideas of America, which are written in the Constitution, do not want so much government involvement, so I am just wondering how you would propose to do something like this, because in the end young people get old too.

      • Your reaction to being asked to investing your role of the government is a rebellious thought that hinders most people from exercising their role in the gov’t. But although it may seem that it would cause more government involvement, it would do the opposite. If all able people exercised their right to vote for all positions (not just President) it keeps the power from focusing too much of a centralized government by having the power split between the people through an elected representative. The majority of voters are the 1% and the older people who although are still important in their own ways to this country will not see the long term repercussions of their decisions on voting and government involvement. With the youth being more involved we are voting to better the future and not an idealized ‘now’ that has already been set in stone by voters of 20 years ago or even longer.

    • I agree. The Constitution needs to be changed to meet the needs of our ever changing society. Our change in technology has had a major impact on our country and there’s no mention of it in the Constitution.

  14. The Constitution is one of the founding documents of America and it stands for the beliefs of the original American people. The constitution represents the founding ideas of America and it outlines the basic rights of the American people. There constitution has been changed through the addition of different amendments, some that are new and others that have nullified previous amendments, but I would disagree it needs to be rewritten or changed.The little amount of changes shows that what our founding fathers beliefs are what American society has been built upon.

    • I agree that the Constitution is a fantastic document that outlines how we conduct our government but like all things it is not perfect. I believe that it could use some changes especially in terms of presidential loopholes and the electoral college. Is there anything in the document that you find at least a bit questionable?

    • I agree with you. If we change the Constitution because it hasn’t been changed in a while eventually it will be something entirely different. It was made to be flexible and to address issues no matter when. There may be reasons to tweak it but just because it has been a while since it’s been changed doesn’t mean we need to now.

    • I disagree. I think there are plenty of ways that the Constitution fails to apply to today’s society, starting with the 2nd Amendment.

  15. The Constitution is a crucial document to the formation of the United States due to its role of defining the government’s branches and each of the branches’ power and limitations, as well as providing protection of personal liberty. For such an important charter, only 17 changes are phenomenal, especially since 1791. While some might say that it contains too many loopholes and too loosely structured, this allows the Constitution to be interpreted accordingly through different time periods (with different perspectives), thereby offering flexibility. Regardless, the Constitution cemented many key ideas that persisted throughout the United States’ history, like popular sovereignty, separation of power, checks and balances, judicial review.etc. Nonetheless, that is not to say the document does not have any flaws. For example, even though the electoral college directs more power to the states for selecting the delegates, it also allows smaller states and swing states to have more voting power per person and might result in a candidate favored by the majority to lose the election. In addition, the bicameral structure of the legislative branch could also result in political gridlocks, especially if each house is being controlled by different parties. Overall, while the Constitution is certainly not outdated, it could have several small adjustments, including the electoral college and some measures regarding political gridlocks.

    • As you mention, the Constitution is a crucial part of the United States since it provided a basic foundation for the government through the government’s branches as well as providing basic rights. However, I feel that the Constitution is outdated. I do agree with the fact that the popular sovereignty, separation of power, and checks and balance should remain the same since they help the United States from being controlled by one individual. Although, the aspects of the Consitution that should be changed is the conflicts between the parties. Laws and projects are harder to pass due to conflicting viewpoints on the subject. This leads to a stalemate between the parties and nothing can be accomplished. Therefore, there needs to be a system in place that allows laws and projects to be passed despite conflicting parties. Another thing that needs to be the change is that the Constitution needs to incorporate the growing use of technology. There needs to be a basic right for users such as privacy.

  16. The Constitution is not outdated. Aswell as their is not anything that needs to be changed, however I do think that we should as a country look over the Constitution regularly to see if anything needs to be changed or updated. Also as of whats is in it right now it should stay the same because it is indeed very accurate.The most important principles outlined in the Constitution is between Article 1,2,3. In these articles these outline the 3 branches of government and what they can and cant do a.k.a checks and balances. This is the most important aspect of this document, due to the fact that these branches make up the government, which makes them powerful, but also the checks and balances within these articles displays the limitations they have in the United States government, which ultimately protects the rights of U.S citizens.

  17. The constitution should most definitely be changed. When it was first written it was intended to be looked at and updated every 10 years. Though the basic outline and premise of the constitution are still working, such as the branches of government, smaller things need to be revisited and looked at to make sure the country at that period in time.

    • You have a good point. Things definetely need to change and added to the Constitution through a proper revision process that should be held routinely. If we had such a thing, we would have better understanding of things like how to deal with technology.

  18. The main reason the Constitution was constructed was to establish a form of government as well as providing basic rights to citizens. I believe that some aspects of the Constitution are outdated, meanwhile, others should remain the same. For instance, I believe that the Constitutions should keep the concept of the 3 branches of government, checks, and balances, and popular sovereignty. Some aspects that need to be updated is the way how parties govern the United States. For instance, if both parties have a conflicting view on a subject that needs to be addressed, there needs to be a system in place to prevent a stalemate between the two parties since conflicting parties prevent laws or other projects from being passed. Another issue is the citizen’s rights to internet privacy. The Constitution discusses the basic rights each citizen have but does not mention how those rights apply to the use of the internet. For instance, last year we had issues with net neutrality and it was debated frequently on how should the internet be controlled. Net neutrality believes that the internet should be open for everyone and allow everyone to use the internet without restriction. Meanwhile, those that oppose it believes that the internet should be controlled by businesses and certain services should be paid, and it is up to the consumers to decide which services they want to use. Therefore, the Constitution should be updated since it does not incorporate the evolution of technology as well as basic rights through this use of technology.

  19. I believe that the Constitution is definitely outdated, but it still serves as a great outline for our country and how it should be governed. I believe that we should still have three branches of government, with the House of Representatives and the Senate. However, I think that there are some amendments that could occur that would be beneficial to the U.S. In my opinion, the electoral college is an outdated system and results is the voice of many being unrepresented. The electoral college allows states that are larger to have more votes than smaller states. Allowing larger states to have more votes makes sense, but it also results in election swings and larger states to dominate the election. The electoral college can also be unrepresentative to the voice of the people, because the popular vote can show favor for one candidate, while the electoral vote results in the other candidate winning. This happened in the 2016 presidential election. I also feel that there should not be a required age per-se for those who can be representatives in the government, but base if they are eligible for a position based on experience. This would prevent an 18 year old with no experience from running for senate, but would not limit someone who is 22 from running if they are qualified.

    • I agree that the requirements to run for office should be more based on experience than age. Generally, a younger politician with more government experience will represent the ideas of the population better than an older candidate with no experience. You wouldn’t want someone with no football experience be head coach of your NFL team, so why let someone with no government experience be leader of your country?

    • I disagree with the Electoral College statement you made. While it has its flaws it is an integral part of our nation’s election process. It prevents mob rule and forces candidates to look out for Americans in rural areas and not just pander to urban dwelling citizens. The majority of Americans live in a large city, and if the election was just based on population, candidates can ignore the needs of the many other Americans and just focus on urban living citizens.

  20. The Constitution has been around for over 200 years and has only had 17 revisions. It has been one of the documents that has shaped our country throughout many difficult times. But as the world changes everyday, as does the country; the Constitution may not be completely outdated but it could use some updated additions or corrections to accommodate for new circumstances regarding the country and their current stance. For example, the electoral college could use a couple of updated features to its regulations. A feature of the Constitution that is still incredibly reliable is the system of checks and balances between the three branches of the government. This aspect has been proven time and time again to be successful in its purposes. In conclusion, the Constitution is not outdated, but could use some tuning up when necessary.

  21. I do not feel as though the constitution is outdated. The constitution has lasted thus far and truly outlines our country. I hunk the saying “don’t fix something that isn’t broken” is important to note. I fear that maybe trying to go in and change something that has been so solid in our foundation may cause more problems than fix.

  22. The Constitution is not outdated. One of the reasons that it is up to date is its flexibility. It was made to last many generations. Currently, It does not need any changes but some amendment need to be further restricted with laws, such as the right to bear arms. Aside form that, the constitution is a pretty solid document that has and will serve as an example for many governments.

    • I agree with your stance, the right to bear arms should be adjusted for current situations. But the Constistution is not entirely outdated.

    • I agree with you. The Constitution isn’t necessarily outdated but the right to bear arms could be tweaked. The guns today are nothing like the ones when the Constitution was written. But that doesn’t mean it is outdated.

    • I disagree with you, but see where you are coming from. The Constitution was meant to last, however as stated by one of our founding fathers, Abraham Lincoln, the Constitution was meant to be a living document. It should change with the country as we further advance. America in 1789 does not have the same issues as America in 2019.


    • I agree with you. This document was made 232 years ago and still is the basis of the government we have today. It holds up well. There are some amendments that need to either change or erased because it is not for this current time period.

  23. Over the past 230 years, the Constitution has been pretty successful in preventing the government from becoming a despotism, which was what the Founding Fathers intended. The idea of separation of powers and checks & balances has worked well in preventing one leader from gaining absolute power, as well as giving people a voice in their government. With that in mind, the Constitution is not necessarily outdated, but it does need to be revised. Topics such as the 2nd Amendment, electoral college, and executive order power by the President all need to be reevaluated with modern society. Due to the increasing partisan environment, it also has become very difficult for politicians to compromise so the lawmaking process should be revisited. The Constitution was designed to evolve with the times, so it is important that necessary changes are made to it, so there can be an effective form of government for many, many years to come.

    • Preach. I strongly agree that in general, the Constitution has served it’s purpose, but it needs to evolve as society evolves. And just like you stated, it is becoming increasingly difficult to make necessary changes because of a more stale, partisan environment. However, it shouldn’t be hard for both sides to agree that we need to make adjustments that could possibly suit everyone’s general safety, privacy, and rights.

  24. A good way of looking at the Constitution is a document that sets up a government that was meant to be changed depending on how well it serves the people. Since it really establishes a government by the people, for the people, it is able to create a government not constricted by the time era. As long as the government serves the people, the Constitution guides and governs the government

    • I agree whole heartedly with the idea that the government’s function is to serve its citizens. Although I am not so sure that it is doing a fine job recently. There are an abundance of instances where people throughout the country feel as if they aren’t being heard by anyone within higher authority even though that in itself goes against what the Constitution stands for in the long run. It’s time to edit the Constitution to include its citizens more into governmental affairs so that we can’t be ignored.

  25. I believe that the Constitution is not outdated, but does need to undergo a few tweaks. A great example is the 2nd Amendment. When the Constitution was created, America was still young, mostly unsettled, could have been taken over by Britain, and the guns were not great. Today, we have assault rifles that can fire hundreds of bullets at a time which really serve no purpose for the average American. This is an example of how the Constitution could be tweaked slightly to better serve the needs of the 21st century American. The most important principles of the Constitution are the protection of Americans natural rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

    • I agree with you that the constitution needs to be changed, but disagree with the idea that it is not outdated. Because it needs tweaks and because these things (the 2nd amendment) have changed so much, this means that the constitution IS outdated. Just because it is outdated does not mean that it needs to be completely changed, just tweaked.

      • I disagree with your disagreement. Just because the Constitution needs minor changes does not make the entire document obsolete. The ideas of separation of powers and checks and balances should remain the same, but other things like the 2nd amendment should be revised to fit today’s society. By keeping the fundamentals and the original intention of the Constitution the same, the Constitution is not outdated.

  26. The Constitution is outdated in the sense of its normal function. It was originally created to spread enough power between the branches of government that would allow it to be run efficiently and equally in order to avoid corruption or faults in the government. As repetitive as it is to bring up the government shutdown, it acts as a wonderful example of inefficiency in the government. This highlights the fact that the Constitution has not done its primary function and therefore needs to be refined in someway. Personally I believe that the general public’s interest is overlooked despite the inclusion of representatives in the government. That’s why I suggest that there needs to be an incorperation of EVERY citizen’s vote on a subject or problem to be dealt with and the punishment for it not being dealt with despite majority vote should be an eviction from governmental duty to anyone that refuses to take the public’s interest at heart. Our forefathers believed in and wished for a government for the people so this shouldn’t be that outlandish. Obviously there should be restriction on what can be removed or added onto legislation through that vote such as removing taxes completely or disbandment of our entire military but things that have a questionable existence within government funding or disregard of certain objectives that citizens want to reach can be controlled more directly.

    • While I do agree with you about the government shutdowns highlighting the shortcomings of the Constitution, and that incorporating every citizen’s vote on a subject sounds nice in theory, how would you implement this feature? The process could be costly and lengthy, thereby too slow to be of any use. On the other hand, while the forefathers did believe in and wished for a government for the people, some of them also expressed elitism, as they do not have complete confidence in popular sovereignty. If citizens were allowed to vote, this might result in hyperpluralism, which might weaken the government to an unsalvageable state.

      • I may have been a bit exaggerative while talking about “everyone” being involved in the vote but perhaps it would be more plausible for it to be a similar voting system in how we vote for the president but instead of an electoral college its purely based on majority vote.

  27. I don’t believe that the Constitution is outdated. Just because it hasn’t been changed recently doesn’t mean it needs to be. As long as people’s rights are upheld there isn’t any reason to change the constitution. I think if anything was going to be tweaked it could be the second amendment. When they wrote the constitution they didn’t have assault rifles and other high powered guns that we have now. But I don’t think that the Constitution should be changed just because it hasn’t been changed in a while.

    • Though I disagree with you, I do agree with you about the 2nd amendment. Another example that the Constitution may need to change is the lack of privacy rights. The idea of privacy comes from court rulings, which can be overruled.

  28. The constitution is outdated and does need to be updated and changed. This is because the country is very different than it was back then, and technology has improved exponentially. In the time the constitution was written, the only form of firearm readily available to the average citizen were very basic, musket-like guns that after every bullet shot, you had to stop and load. With adavanced technology like machine guns, “The right to bear arms” now means something very different than it did back then. If this country continues to interpret the constitution without changing it, it will eventually be morphed into something that does not fit its original intention. Though the guns is only one example, this same sort of interpretation happens to many different things in the constitution and means that the constitution needs to be ratified.

  29. I believe that the constitution is not outdated. Over the many years of its existence it has been altered to fit our society. It is true that times now are much different than when the constitution was first drafted, but the basic ideas have not changed drastically. It is more than likely that this document will continue to be changed to follow our new way of life but that does not make it outdated. Our constitution is not perfect but it still ensures people’s rights to this day.

    • I strongly agree with you. I doubt that the Constitution will ever become perfect, but it is never a bad idea to tweak it to fit the times. Overall, however it does seem to be doing a good enough job to keep people’s rights with the people.

  30. I feel that the constitution is and isn’t outdated. It was good for its time but with the change in technology and people themselves, the constitution should change as well with its different sections, there are things that could be helped to improve on for the new age

    • What should change to the Constitution to make it more up to date with our 21st century technology? Do we just keep adding amendments or should we rewrite the entire Constitution.

  31. The constitution was designed to change with the times. In my personal opinion ideas on equal rights for woman should be added into the constitution. The constitution is also meant to be updated and checked every 10 years or so. We live in a time where the world is evolving much faster then we previously expected, so I believe we should check it every 5 years.

  32. I understand that the constitution is the basis for which our country has thrived but it is outdated. There are many issues that it never touched on that only caused further problems such as slavery. There are changes that need to be made even now. There is no way that our founding fathers would have predicted the changes our country has gone through like our advancement in technology. Technology is a gray area in terms of the constitution like privacy. Some important principles in the constitution is the checks and balance powers that the branches of government have over each other to ensure an equal distribution of power.

    • I agree with you, the constitution is outdated even though it is still working today. Our country is not the same as it was back then and we should not just keep it around because it works. After all, a broken clock is still right twice a day. There are a lot of fundamentals in our constitution that should stay, but it could and should move along wth the country as we further advance and have more complicated issues.

  33. A document as important as the Constitution, that defines the basis of most of the laws in a country should be changing more often because the country is also changing and the Constitution should be changed to fit that decade, which will provide more fair ruling among these generations and should not be limited to old laws and system of thought. This would mean to change or limit the power of the president and not to subject with a rule that may be morally right or wrong. The constitution was last changed in 1992 and i think it should be changed soon, maybe taking away some power from the president, such as in our current state of shutdown, valuable time is being lost with little to no work being done towards the progress of this country.

  34. I think the Constitution as it is works for today’s society, but society tends to shift around. Obviously, the government setup should probably have minor tweaks to it, as we keep finding ourselves in government standoffs on controversial topics. I’m no politician, but I think that arguing over something over generation and generation isn’t healthy for our government and it tends to raise future politicians to do the same. However, the major points that keep our government in check is the most important part of the Constitution. Other than that, the document as a whole has been able to withstand the test of time, so it is okay as it is.

  35. A document that helped to outline government policies, known as the constitution, was ratified in 1788– it is now 2019. Admittedly, many great and beneficial things are written in the constituion, some ideas that we should still draw from as a nation today. However, with all the time that has passed, with a population that has grown tremendously since the centuries have passed (meaning more people to look after and govern) and the nonstop advancement of many aspects of the American society, we need to adopt a stronger guideline. The constitution is our foundation, and we should only keep building off of it, not relying on it.

  36. I do believe that there are parts of the Constitution that are outdated, primarily the 2nd Amendment. The right to bear arms seems quite unnecessary and actually harmful in today’s society. Today, we have fully and semiautomatic firearms that can kill masses of people in minutes, where the colonists only had muskets that took minutes to reload. The 2nd Amendment is used today to hinder the betterment of our society by making it increasingly difficult to enact gun control laws. Times are different and a complete and unwavering right to bear arms is not necessary. The most important principles outlined in the Constitution are definitely the freedom of speech, religion, and assembly, as well as the right to a fair and expedient trial in a court of law. Without these, America would lose its appeal entirely.

  37. I believe the Constitution to an extent is outdated. America in 1789 or 1791 is not the same America in 2019. Thomas Jefferson once said the Constitution should be a living document. Meaning it should be revised as we move along as a country. However, I believe a lot of the current amendments should stay in the constitution if it were to be updated. Some could use a few revisions to them, but a majority of them are basic fundamental rights that everyone has know their entire lives. My only problem with the constitution is, the Constitution should move with progress not against it. In 1789 there were not seven billion people in the world, nor did they have the technology and information we have today. For example, in the 1700s and 1800s, they did not have the kind of destructive weapons we have today and we should not use the second amendment to sustain from background checks and other measures that make having them safer. If I were to change anything or add anything to the constitution now, I would make a clause into the second amendment requiring background checks and making it so people can not buy guns at gun shows. As well as adding an amendment that puts a cap on how many days the government can be in a shutdown.

  38. The constitution should not be changed in any way only because if it does, it could end up making the country spiral downhill. If it did need to change then there would have to make the amendments more clear and more applicable to today’s society. With the advances in technology in this day of age, it becomes more harmful to possess weapons. There are also people in this day that take the amendments and make them sound more open-ended which then would only allow citizens to interpret them.

  39. The Constitution should not be changed or “updated’ because it is such a controversial time where the basics are working best; there might be a few kinks in the chain here and there but I can’t see a change that would improve the constitution that everyone would be pleased with.

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