The Great Constitutional Refresh

A National Citizens' Constitutional Convention in June 2026.

Photo by Thomas DiRoma on Unsplash

If the U.S. Constitution were a house guest, it would be the kind who arrived by horse and buggy, hasn't showered in 250 years, refuses to take off its powdered wig, and insists—between sips of stale ale—that everything is "working exactly as the Founders intended."

Well, newsflash: it isn't.

Look around. We have a system where the Electoral College can override the popular vote—as it did in 2000 and 2016¹—while corporate donors funnel billions into elections through super PACs.² We've got Supreme Court justices accepting lavish gifts from billionaires while making decisions that affect all our lives.³ Whether you're on the left or right, we can all see something fundamental is broken.

This isn't what democracy is supposed to look like. We're watching our constitutional system struggle under pressures the Founders never imagined—from corporate money flooding elections to surveillance technologies that would make King George blush. Our system of checks and balances is straining under the weight of 21st-century realities.

We have:

• Executive power expanding far beyond what the Constitution envisioned⁴

• A Supreme Court operating with lifetime tenure while facing ethics scandals⁵

• A Congress with approval ratings hovering around 20% while 89% of House races are non-competitive⁶

• Gerrymandering that allows politicians to choose their voters rather than voters choosing their representatives⁷

• A system where money increasingly determines political outcomes⁸

Yet somehow, we're told not to question it. We're taught to revere this parchment as if it were the Dead Sea Scrolls—perfect, eternal, infallible. But let's be honest: if the Founders were alive today, they'd be scratching their heads at how we're trying to govern 330 million people in a globalized, digital world with their 18th-century framework.

The world has changed in ways the Founders could never have imagined—global corporations, mass surveillance, climate crisis, artificial intelligence, social media—and our rulebook has been left in the dust.

Think about it. You wouldn't drive a car from 1787. You wouldn't trust a doctor using 1787 medical tools. So why are we governing a modern democracy with a framework that hasn't been meaningfully updated in over 50 years?

When you have a Constitution that can't keep up with reality, you get a democracy that can't keep its promises. While ordinary Americans are trying to patch the roof, the system itself is failing to protect what we all value most: fair representation, equal justice, and accountable government.

Here's what I'm not saying: that we should torch the Constitution and start over. The principles it enshrines—liberty, justice, democratic representation—are timeless. But the mechanisms for achieving those principles? Those need an upgrade.

We are living through a constitutional emergency. No amount of hoping, praying, or pretending will fix the structural problems that leave Americans across the political spectrum feeling like their government doesn't work for them.

Here's the kicker: the Founders themselves knew this would happen. That's why they wrote Article V—to allow us to update the document when it stopped serving the people. The Constitution isn't Moses' stone tablets. It's a living agreement between citizens. It's meant to evolve.

Yet here we are. We haven't added a single amendment in over three decades. The last constitutional amendment was ratified in 1992—addressing congressional pay raises, of all things—while the previous one before that was in 1971.⁹ Since then—nothing. No upgrades. No patches. Just growing frustration across the political spectrum.

So, in the spirit of 1776—and with all the love I have for this battered, beloved country—I'm calling for something as audacious as it is overdue:

A National Citizens' Constitutional Convention in June 2026.

Imagine it: Thousands of Americans from every state, every background, every political persuasion—coming together not to tear each other apart, but to deliberate, debate, and propose constitutional reforms that actually serve the people.

Some will say it's impossible. But Americans have done impossible things before. We've amended the Constitution 27 times through democratic processes.¹⁰ We've expanded voting rights through the 15th, 19th, and 26th Amendments. We've ended slavery through the 13th Amendment. We've survived a civil war and two world wars. We've put people on the moon.

If we can do all that, we can certainly sit down together and figure out how to make our democracy work better for everyone.

You are the rightful heirs to the American experiment. You are the founders the future is waiting for. And you have something George Washington never had—instant communication, the ability to organize across vast distances, and the wisdom that comes from 250 years of democratic experience.

Picture it: on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, millions of us coming together to craft constitutional reforms—a modern framework for a diverse, democratic America.

Students. Veterans. Small business owners. Teachers. Truck drivers. Nurses. Republicans. Democrats. Independents. You. Me. All of us.

This isn't a job for politicians alone. It's too important to leave in the hands of the same people who've been unable to fix the problems we all see.

This is our chance—maybe our last—to fix it ourselves.

Here's how such a convention would work: Unlike a constitutional convention called by state legislatures under Article V, this would be a citizens' assembly—representative of America's diversity, selected through civic organizations, community groups, and democratic processes. Similar models have worked successfully in Ireland and Iceland for constitutional reform and in Canada for electoral reform.¹¹ It would operate with full transparency, with proceedings broadcast live and public input welcomed throughout.

The convention wouldn't have the power to impose changes—that still requires the formal amendment process. But it would have the moral authority that comes from genuine democratic participation. It would show our elected officials what we, the people, actually want.

If you feel the same urgency—and maybe a little righteous hope—here's what you can do:

Tell your story. Share how our current system has failed your family and community—regardless of your political views.

Share your ideas. What should a refreshed Constitution guarantee? What reforms would make government more accountable to you?

Gather your neighbors. Start conversations across party lines. Find common ground about what's broken and what we all want fixed.

Think beyond partisanship. The problems we face—corporate influence, unaccountable power, government dysfunction—frustrate Americans across the political spectrum.

When the naysayers say, "You can't do this. It's too risky," remember: the bigger risk is doing nothing while our democracy continues to disappoint people of all political views.

If the Founders could walk into Independence Hall in 1787, decide the Articles of Confederation weren't working, and spend a sweaty Philadelphia summer hammering out something better—creating what Alexander Hamilton called "a more perfect union"¹²—so can we.

In fact, I think they'd expect it.

It's time to refresh the Constitution with love. To acknowledge its failures with moral seriousness. And then roll up our sleeves and build something better—something worthy of our highest ideals and capable of meeting our current challenges.

Join the movement. Contribute your voice. Organize your community. And together, let's hit refresh.

Visit www.unify-usa.org to get involved. Because in 2026, history won't write itself—and neither will the Constitution.

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References:

¹ National Archives, "Electoral College Fast Facts" (2024)

² Center for Responsive Politics, "Super PACs" opensecrets.org (2024)

³ ProPublica, "Clarence Thomas and the Billionaire" (2023)

⁴ Aziz Huq, "The Expansion of Presidential Power" University of Chicago Law Review (2023)

⁵ Pew Research Center, "Public's View of Supreme Court Turned More Negative" (2023)

⁶ Gallup, "Congressional Approval Ratings" (2024); Cook Political Report, "House Race Ratings" (2024)

⁷ Brennan Center for Justice, "Gerrymandering Explained" (2024)

⁸ Campaign Finance Institute, "Money in Politics" (2024)

⁹ National Archives, "Constitutional Amendment Process" (2024)

¹⁰ National Constitution Center, "Constitutional Amendment Timeline" (2024)

¹¹ OECD, "Innovative Citizen Participation and New Democratic Institutions" (2020)

¹² Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 1 (1787)

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Dr. Paul Zeitz is the Co-Founder of #unifyUSA, a citizens' movement dedicated to Hit Refresh on the U.S. Constitution: A Revolutionary Roadmap for Fulfilling on the Promise of Democracy and Revolutionary Optimism: 7 Steps for Living as a Love-Centered Activist.