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Compacts: Federalism's Last Stand and Best Hope

The check and balance provided by a vertical separation of powers between the states and the federal government is almost gone. But there is a clear exception from this rule, which can provide a solid foundation for restoring

the proper balance between our state and federal governments: The power to form binding compacts that can durably commit the states to public policies that promote freedom and prosperity. Compact for America Educational Foundation is the leading educational, research and development organization to deploy this largely undiminished state power.

 

Here are our major compact projects (in addition to the Balanced Budget Compact):

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Click above to make a fast tax deductible donation to Compact for America Educational Foundation, Inc. (501c3)).

 

CHECKS CAN BE MAILED TO:

 

Compact for America Educational Foundation, Inc.

2323 Clear Lake City Blvd.

Suite 180-190

Houston, TX 77062

Compact Model Policies for Durable Sub-Constitutional Reform

Based on a foundation of fundamental research, this ongoing project is developing and supporting new and existing compacts to achieve durable reforms without amending the U.S. Constitution. This is being accomplished through compacts that tailor existing federal programs to local, state and regional needs, to entrench government reforms (such as regulatory reform, spending limits and subsidy prohibitions), to promote free market energy, transportation and resource policy, to impose limits on the public policy making powers of agencies, to establish opt-in local liberty governance models, and more.

 

We have developed and are furnishing educational support for compact model policies that:

 

  • protect uniformity in firearms transfer freedoms; and

  • enable Western Lands Reform.

 

Confidential drafts are available for review upon signing a non-disclosure agreement. Email for details.

This project involves researching the extent to which compacts can durably "entrench" public policies from state law alteration, attain the status of federal law through congressional "consent," and thereby create the conditions of policy certainty under which individuals and organizations can thrive.

Fundamental Compact Research

Federalism Curriculum

This project involves the deployment of a federalism curriculum that is meant to be actionable by public officials, policy analysts and citizens and to change the culture of deference to centralized national control to one of healthy skepticism.

Term Limits and other Article V Compact Payloads, Mods & Upgrades

This project involves researching and developing new or improved constitutional amendment payloads and modular amendments to tailor our model compact "vehicle" legislation to local conditions or upon unanimous consent of member states. Our latest amendment payload is a term limits amendment developed with the input of our Council of Scholars. You can read it here.

Drafting Convention Article V Compact

This project is researching and developing a compact to bring greater certainty, safety and speed to the drafting convention approach to Article V of the U.S. Constitution preferred by Convention of States and other groups by creating an interstate oversight agency, appointing and instructing delegates, binding sufficient numbers of states to control a quorum and enforce a rule of germaneness, creating opportunities for Congress to yield to state control, committing at least 13 states to refuse to ratify ultra vires amendment proposals, and by furnishing alternative dispute resolution options to avoid litigation. A confidential draft is available for review upon signing a non-disclosure agreement. Email for details.

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