Why Compact for America Fulfills the Founders' Promise by Kevin R.C. Gutzman, Ph.D., J.D.
The standard account of the Virginia Ratification Convention has James Madison carrying the water for the Federalists, who succeeded in winning adoption of the U.S. Constitution by a vote of 88-78. John Marshall, it’s said, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him. Yet, that’s not right. It seems that the Accepted Version owes more to Madison’s and Marshall’s later eminence than to the actual record. Although Madison certainly did play an important role, his poor health caused
An Open Letter to Compact for America Supporters from Board Member Nick Dranias
Dear Compact for America supporter: As you know, the political class in Washington is mortgaging our future. Special interest groups are being promised everything they demand. Bureaucrats are building vast empires of surveillance and control. This is happening because shifting the cost of grandiose promises and plans to future generations is a politically costless way of enhancing one's electoral prospects. As a result, the federal government has been bloated far beyond its c
Take a Shot at the Compact's Balanced Budget Amendment!
With the input and peer review of numerous statesmen, legal, historical and fiscal experts, we at Compact for America believe that the Compact for a Balanced Budget advances the most transparent, non-gameable, non-partisan, plausible and powerful federal Balanced Budget Amendment ever yet proposed. We think there is no doubt that it will vastly enhance fiscal responsibility at the federal level compared to the status quo of unlimited borrowing capacity. Yes, that is quite a c
Senator Obama Was Right.
On March 16, 2006, U.S. Senator Barack Obama opposed lifting the federal statutory debt limit, arguing: "The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can't pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies. Over the past 5 years, our federal debt has increased by $3.5 trill
Extra! Extra! Compact in the News!
Alan Caruba, columnist, Tea Party News Network, August 31, 2014 says: "The [Compact for a Balanced Budget's] amendment would put 'an initially fixed limit on the amount of federal debt.' It would ensure Washington cannot spend more than tax revenue brought in at any point in time, with the sole exception of borrowing under the fixed debt limit. It would force Washington to reduce spending long before borrowing reaches its debt limit, preventing any default on obligations; som
States Take Charge! Join Us at Case-Western Law School for a Luncheon Presentation.
Compact for America Visiting Scholar and Board Member Nick Dranias makes the case that the States can plausibly fix the national debt using an agreement among the states to advance and ratify a powerful, yet plausible, federal Balanced Budget Amendment! This Federalist Society-sponsored educational event needs to be replicated in every state throughout the Country. Unfortunately, we cannot expect the Federalist Society to do so. That's where you can help! To bring presentatio
Fiscal Responsibility Is Not Partisan
Compact for America's proposed Balanced Budget Amendment is carefully designed to reach anyone who believes: The federal government's resources are not unlimited despite the illusion created by limitless borrowing capacity. It is wrong to tax future generations for our current spending and taxing policies. Special interest tax loopholes should be closed before general tax rates are increased. Power needs to be decentralized to the States because the People have more leverage
Which Article V Effort is Leading?
That's right. If you measure by distance to the goal of a ratified amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Compact for a Balanced Budget is clearly in the lead. It is entirely plausible that our effort could secure a federal Balanced Budget Amendment by July 4, 2017, if not sooner. But even if the other movements catch up, the Compact can roll with them too. Why? Because each time the Compact is passed into law, the powerful federal Balanced Budget Amendment it carries is simulta
