This past weekend I have become increasingly aware of a possible legal way to reduce the growing federal government overreach and reduction of individual liberties. I first learned of the new book by Constitutional expert, author and radio personality Mark Levin, The Liberty Amendments: Restoring the American Republic.

Then, I happened across an interview with a man whose name I didn’t catch, who was speaking of something called The Madison Coalition.

James Madison has been called the “political philosopher of the Constitution.” It was his brilliance that resulted in the three separate but equal branches of government, and the system of checks and balances.

But even Madison knew that the system wasn’t perfect. He knew that people and organizations naturally seek to grow in size, influence and power. Thus, built into the Constitution was Article V, which details the mechanism for how the Constitution may be amended. It states,

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

Not once in the history of the republic has a constitutional convention been called via the Article V route. The possibility of “rogue” constituents and the premise of a mass re-writing or overturning of the Constitution are given as reasons for this. But Article V has its own built-in protections against this possibility. Nevertheless, the Madison Coalition seeks to educate legislators at state and local levels and encourage them to support the Madison Amendment.

The Madison Coalition encourages both State leaders and Members of Congress to work for the eventual adoption of the Madison Amendment to permanently and constitutionally guarantee the right of 34 states who propose an identical Amendment to limit the scope of a Convention they call to an up or down vote on that specific Amendment.

Congress and the president seem to have grown deaf ears. The purpose of the Constitution was to limit the powers of the federal government, and the Tenth Amendment specifically states, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” I think it’s time the people took back their power.