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Title: RD Pocket Guide Image

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Attached File: pocket_guide_digital.pdf

Updated June 22, 2021

Created: 2020-11-11 16:25:17

Updated: 2021-11-11 19:00:00

Published: 2020-11-11 00:00:00

Converted: 2025-04-14T19:58:18.004893471


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**Pocket Guide**

**ARTICLE V CONVENTION OF STATES**

The Founders’ Constitutional Plan for 

We the People to Secure America’s Future




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**Pocket Guide**

//The Founders’ Constitutional Plan for //

//We the People to Secure America’s Future//

[[https://shopconventionofstates.com/collections/pocket-guides|**PURCHASE A PHYSICAL COPY**]]




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

//A special message from COSA President Mark Meckler//

//Find out what the Founders had to say about COS//

//Why Washington won’t let go of power//

//Endorsements from notable leaders//

//Find the information you need quickly//

//Cut through the misinformation - get the facts here//

//See the text of the Convention of States application//

//Potential amendments to be debated at the convention//

//What happened at the historic convention simulation?//

//The organization and growing grassroots movement//

//What you can do to get involved//

//Read and sign the petition to show your support//

CONTENTS

 

[[files_10933_pdfto.html#4|01    Who Decides?]]

[[files_10933_pdfto.html#7|04      Article V of the U.S. Constitution]]

[[files_10933_pdfto.html#9|06    The Problem]]

[[files_10933_pdfto.html#14|11      Support for a Convention of States]]

[[files_10933_pdfto.html#21|18      Answers to Common Questions]]

[[files_10933_pdfto.html#26|23      Overcoming Objections From the Opposition]]

[[files_10933_pdfto.html#32|29      Convention of States Model Application]]

[[files_10933_pdfto.html#33|30      Amendments to Consider at a Convention of States]]

[[files_10933_pdfto.html#35|32      Convention of States Simulation]]

[[files_10933_pdfto.html#37|34      About Convention of States Action (COSA)]]

[[files_10933_pdfto.html#39|36      Get Involved in Making History]]

[[files_10933_pdfto.html#42|40      Convention of States Petition]]




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**01**

**Who **

**Decides?**

**A MESSAGE FROM COSA **

**PRESIDENT MARK MECKLER**

Who Decides?

Who gets to decide what’s best for you and your family?

Should you have the power to decide?

Or should some out-of-touch bureaucrat in Washington, 

D.C., have the power to decide?

It’s time we shift the national conversation away from 

what government should do to “fix” our problems. It’s time 

we decide for ourselves whether the federal government 

should be involved at all in matters that affect us personally.

No matter the political issue of the day, the establishment 

in Washington loves to deliberate on what //they// will do. 

They want the American people to ponder, “What will 

they decide?” 

What will Congress decide about health care? Taxes? 

Education? Fiscal responsibility?




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**02**

[[https://conventionofstates.com/press|//Mark Meckler, President of Convention of States Action//]]

Instead of focusing on the better question: 

//**Who**// should decide?

Should the government decide what to do about your 

health care, or should you and your doctor decide? Should 

D.C. bureaucrats decide what to do about education, or 

should you, your spouse, and your children’s teachers 

decide? Should nine Supreme Court Justices decide what 

constitutes a marriage, or should you, your community, and 

your state decide?

If you’re anything like me, the answer is obvious. It’s the same 

answer our Founding Fathers gave when they drafted the 

Constitution: we the people should decide, not some far-off, 

disconnected government run by out-of-touch elites.




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**03**

The truth is the Washington establishment will never, //ever// 

limit its own power. We just can’t rely on the politicians who 

got us into this mess to get us out of it.

We need a solution that will let us go around the 

Washington political establishment and rein in the out-of-

control federal government, //permanently//.

Here at Convention of States Action, we are implementing 

the solution with the help of a vast family of grassroots 

patriots just like you.

This solution was hidden in plain sight in Article V of the 

Constitution, and it’s our best and last chance to take 

the power back from the out-of-control politicians in 

Washington and safeguard our liberty once and for all.

The booklet you hold in your hands contains our Founding 

Fathers’ antidote and cure for what ails our country.

Take it, read it, and use it as you talk with your friends 

and family members about this constitutional solution to 

restore our great nation.\\
Yours in the fight,

Mark Meckler

President

Convention of States Action




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**04**

Article V of the Constitution of the United States reads as 

follows:

 

“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.”

Article V of the U.S. Constitution

**Article V**

**OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION**




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**05**

The history of Article V from the 1787 Convention: “On 

September 15, as the Convention was reviewing the 

revisions made by the Committee of Style, George Mason 

expressed opposition to the provisions limiting the power 

to propose amendments to Congress. According to the 

Convention records, Mason thought that ‘no Amendment 

of the proper kind would ever be obtained by the people, 

if the Government should become oppressive, as he verily 

believed would be the case.’ In response, Gouverneur 

Morris and Elbridge Gerry made a motion to amend the 

article to reintroduce language requiring that a convention 

be called when two-thirds of the States applied for an 

[[https://www.heartland.org/_template-assets/documents/publications/generic-35549D285728.pdf|amendment.” [30 Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy ]]

[[https://www.heartland.org/_template-assets/documents/publications/generic-35549D285728.pdf|1005, 1007 (2007)]]]

Thank God that the Founders were wise enough to give us 

the second clause of Article V. Their decision was unanimous. 

The Framers had very little debate about this—and they 

debated almost everything—because they knew human 

nature. They had experienced the heavy hand of a tyrannical 

government. They foresaw a time in the future when such a 

mechanism would be necessary. Now is that time.

**05**

[[https://conventionofstates.com/news/george-mason-of-the-first-order-of-greatness|//George Mason, Founding Father//]]




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**06**

**The Problem**

**WHY A CONVENTION**

**OF STATES?**

Washington, D.C., will never voluntarily relinquish its 

own power, no matter who is elected. The only rational 

[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|conclusion is this: unless some political force outside ]]

of Washington, D.[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|C., intervenes, the ]]

[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|federal government will continue to ]]

[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|bankrupt this nation, embezzle the ]]

[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|legitimate authority of the states, ]]

and destr[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|oy the liberty of the ]]

people. R[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|ather than securing ]]

the blessings of liberty 

for future generations, 

Washington, D.[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|C., is on a ]]

[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|path that will enslave our ]]

children and grandchildr[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|en ]]

to the debts of the past.

W[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|e see four major abuses ]]

[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|against the people by the ]]

federal government. T[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|hese ]]

abuses are not mer[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|e instances ]]

of bad policy. T[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|he federal government has been ]]

subjecting us to “[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|soft tyranny” in which the government ]]

does not (yet) shatter all men’s wills but regularly 

[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|//Alexis de Tocqueville,//]]

[[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexis-de-Tocqueville|//French Historian//]]

The Problem




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**07**

“softens, bends, and guides” them. If we do nothing to 

halt these abuses, we run the risk of becoming nothing 

more than “a flock of timid and industrious animals, 

of which the government is the shepherd.” (Alexis de 

Tocqueville, Democracy in America, 1840)

**3.1 - The Spending and Debt Crisis**

[[https://usdebtclock.org/|America’s national debt numbers in tens of trillions of ]]

[[https://usdebtclock.org/|dollars]], but it only tells a part of the story. Under standard 

accounting practices, the federal government actually 

owes well over $100 trillion more in vested Social Security 

benefits and other programs. The government cannot tax 

its way out of debt. Even if the government taxed at 100 

[[https://usdebtclock.org/|//Even if the government taxed //]]

[[https://usdebtclock.org/|//at 100 percent and confiscated //]]

[[https://usdebtclock.org/|//everything, it wouldn’t cover the //]]

[[https://usdebtclock.org/|//mountain of debt that we have //]]

[[https://usdebtclock.org/|//already accumulated!//]]




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**08**

percent and confiscated everything, it wouldn’t cover the 

mountain of debt that we have already accumulated!

**3.2 - The Regulatory Crisis**

The federal bureaucracy has placed a regulatory burden upon 

businesses that is complex, conflicted, and crushing. Little 

accountability exists when agencies—rather than Congress—

enact the real substance of the law[[https://cei.org/publication/the-cost-of-regulation-and-intervention/|. Current research ]]

[[https://cei.org/publication/the-cost-of-regulation-and-intervention/|shows the annual cost of compliance at about $2 trillion, ]]

roughly equal to all income and corporate taxes combined! 

Worse, the growth-killing effects of regulation have shrunk 

economic growth by 25 percent, or $4 trillion per year.

**3.3 - Congressional Attacks on State Sovereignty**

For years, Congress has been using federal grants to 

keep the states under its control. Combining these grants 

with federal mandates (which are rarely fully funded), 

Congress has turned state legislatures into their regional 

agencies rather than respecting them as truly independent 

republican governments.

A radical social agenda and an invasion of the rights of 

the people accompany all of this. While significant efforts 

//Congress has turned state legislatures into their //

//regional agencies rather than respecting them as truly //

//independent republican governments.//




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**09**

have been made to combat this social erosion, these trends 

defy some of the most important founding principles of 

federalism and self-governance.

**3.4 - Federal Takeover of the Decision-Making Process**

The Founders believed that the structures of a limited 

government would provide the greatest protection of 

liberty. Not only were there to be checks and balances 

between the branches of the federal government, power 

was to be delineated between the states and federal 

government. The latter was to exercise only those “few and 

defined” powers specifically granted in the Constitution, 

while the states’ powers were left “broad and undefined.”

Collusion among decision-makers in Washington, D.C., has 

replaced these checks and balances. The federal judiciary 

supports Congress and the White House in their ever-

escalating attack upon the jurisdiction of the 50 states.

We need to realize that the structure of decision-making 

matters. Who decides what the law will be is even more 

important than what is decided. The protection of liberty 

requires a strict adherence to the principle that the power 

of the federal government is limited and enumerated. 

Washington, D.C., does not believe this principle, as 

evidenced by an unbroken practice of expanding the 

boundaries of federal power.




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**10**

The problems are big, but we have a solution as big as 

those problems. Article V gives us the tool the Founders 

intended for us to use to fix the mess in D.C.

Article V of the Constitution is our best chance – and our 

last chance – to take the power back from the out-of-

control politicians and bureaucrats in Washington and 

safeguard our liberty once and for all.

And when the Convention of States convenes, Congress 

and the Washington bureaucracy will be powerless to stop it.

//We need to realize that the //

//structure of decision-making //

//matters. Who decides what //

//the law will be is even//

//more important than//

//what is decided.//




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**11**

**Support**

**FOR A CONVENTION OF STATES**

Support for a Convention of States

//“I have wholeheartedly endorsed the Convention of States //

//Project. I serve on its Legal Board of Reference because they //

//propose a solution as big as the problem.”//

[[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Mark**]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Levin**]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Gov. Ron\\
DeSantis\\
**]]//“The permanent bureaucracy will never voluntarily give up an //

//ounce of its power.…I encourage all other state legislatures //

//to support the Convention of States Project and pass the //

//resolution today.”//




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**12**

//“We have to hem in the power of Congress and, in many cases, //

//the power of the Executive, before it is too late. Can you //

//imagine the looks on the faces of politicians when they realize //

//they are now legally barred from controlling your life and they //

//can’t just live in those offices forever? Calling a Convention //

//of States is the only way to get the job done. Sign the petition //

//and get involved. It’s an important cause.”//

[[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Ben \\
Shapiro**]]

//“There’s a solution in our Constitution. We have the power to call //

//a Convention of States to restrain the size, the power, the scope, //

//and the jurisdiction of the federal government. If you’re serious //

//about saving the nation, this is the best way to do it. Join the //

//constitutional revolution with Convention of States Project.”//

[[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Sean **]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Hannity**]]




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**13**

//“Thank goodness the Founders had the wisdom to provide us //

//with Article V of the Constitution, which gives us the right and //

//power to hold an Amending Convention for the purpose of //

//proposing amendments to restrain the scope and power of the //

//federal government... Under the system of federalism, I support //

//the efforts to gather a constitutional Convention of States //

//consistent with Article V and honoring the 10th Amendment.”//

[[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Lt. Col. **]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Allen West**]]

//“The leviathan of today’s federal government continues to //

//grow unabated, pushing the people further away from our //

//Founder’s vision of self-governance. The Convention of States //

//Project is the only constitutional pathway for citizens to save //

//our Republic by restoring it to her citizens. Article V of our //

//Constitution underscores the duty of active citizenship and I //

//am proud to stand with millions of volunteers in this effort.” //

[[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Pete \\
Hegseth**]]




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**14**

//“I encourage every American to visit www.conventionofstates.com //

//and add your name to a growing list of citizens calling for a return //

//of federal power back to the states. Let us raise our collective //

//voices and challenge the entrenched powers in Washington by //

//finally, and for the first time, calling for a Convention of States.”//

[[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Dr. James \\
Dobson**]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Senator**]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Rand Paul**]]

//“I support the Convention of States Project to restore the //

//original constitutional limits on federal power by calling a //

//limited Convention to propose amendments to rein in our out-//

//of-control federal government.”//




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**15**

//“Americans are sick and tired of the double-talk coming out of //

//Washington. So am I. After serving in the House, the Senate, //

//and as President of the Heritage Foundation, I’ve finally //

//realized the most important truth of our time: Washington, //

//D.C., will never fix itself. Article V is the only solution.”//

//“I support an Article V Convention of the States. It is time //

//for states to go on the offensive to limit the overreach of //

//the federal government... I urge you to support all of the //

//Constitution, and thus the efforts of the Convention of //

//States to pass their extremely well-thought-out and strategic //

//legislation in your home state and thus join us in a call to //

//restore our constitutional republic.”//

[[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**(Ret.) Sen. **]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Jim DeMint**]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**David \\
Barton**]]




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**16**

//“Only a Convention of States will give us effective solutions //

//to the abuse of power in Washington, D.C. It is our moral //

//obligation to protect liberty for ourselves and our posterity.”//

//“The Founding Fathers gave us a foolproof way to rein in //

//an over reaching federal government in Article V. If young //

//conservatives want to take back our country, they will join me //

//in supporting the Convention of States Project. A Convention //

//of States is the only constitutional way to limit the power and //

//jurisdiction of the federal government and anyone who wants //

//to give power back to the people will support this growing //

//movement. After all, as we always say at Turning Point, ‘Big //

//Government Sucks,’ and it’s not going to shrink itself.”//

[[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Charlie \\
Kirk**]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Michael **]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/endorsements|**Farris**]]




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**17**

**OTHER NOTABLE SUPPORTERS**

•  Sheriff David Clarke

•  Lt. Col. Bill Cowan

•  Ken Cuccinelli

•  Rep. Jeff Duncan

•  Sen. Ron Johnson

•  Andrew McCarthy

•  Gov. Sarah Palin

•  Thomas Sowell

•  Mat Staver

•  Steve Hilton

•  Gov. Greg Abbott

•  Judge Andrew Napolitano

•  James O’Keefe

•  Sen. Ben Sasse

•  Pete Coors

•  Steve Deace

•  Rep. Mark Meadows

•  David Horowitz

•  Lawrence Jones

•  Sen. Marco Rubio

•  Dr. Ben Carson

•  Gov. Mike Huckabee

•  Gov. Jeb Bush

•  Sen. Jim Talent

•  Gov. Bobby Jindal

•  Rep. Louie Gohmert

•  Morton Blackwell

•  Randy E. Barnett

•  Charles J. Cooper

•  Dr. John C. Eastman

•  Robert P. George

•  C. Boyden Gray

•  Cal Thomas

**17**




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**18**

**Answers**

**TO COMMON QUESTIONS**

**6.1 - Why Do We Need to Call a Convention of **

**States?**

Washington, D.C., is broken. The federal government is 

spending this country into the ground, seizing power from 

the states and taking liberty from the people. It’s time 

for we the people to take a stand against tyranny with a 

coordinated, nationwide effort to curb the unrestrained and 

growing power of the federal government. The Founders 

gave us this emergency tool to fix Washington, D.C. We 

must use it before it is too late. Even when good people 

go to D.C. as elected officials, they lack the power to fix 

the structural problems now destroying our country. No 

change in personnel can fix a structural problem. Only a 

Convention of States has the power to repair the damage 

and halt the federal government from eroding the liberties 

of the sovereign citizens further.

**6.2 - What is a Convention of States?**

A Convention of States is a convention called by the state 

legislatures for the purpose of proposing amendments to 

the Constitution. They are given power to do this under 

Article V of the C[[files_10933_pdfto.html#7|onstitution (see text, page 4). I]]t is 

Answers to Common Questions




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**19**

not a constitutional convention. It cannot throw out the 

Constitution, because it receives its authority from the 

Constitution. A Convention of States can only propose 

amendments that fit within the topic of the applications 

adopted by the state legislatures. So, for example, a 

Convention that is called to limit the power of the federal 

government could not propose an amendment to reduce 

our rights and expand federal power.

  

**6.3 - How Do the State Legislatures Call a **

**Convention of States?**

Thirty-four state legislatures must pass a resolution in each 

chamber of their legislatures (called an “application”) calling 

for a Convention of States. The Convention of States 

application does not need to be signed by the Governor 

to be effective. As soon as both chambers of the state 

legislature pass the application, that state becomes one of 

the required 34 states calling for a Convention. In order for 

the applications to be aggregated (counted together towards 

the 34-state threshold), they must all cover the same topic 

or set of topics for a C[[files_10933_pdfto.html#32|onvention. The Convention of States ]]

[[files_10933_pdfto.html#32|model application is included on page 29]].

**6.4 - Can Congress Block a Convention of **

**States?**

 

No. As long as each of the 34 states applies for a 

Convention that deals with the same issue (e.g., limiting 

the power and jurisdiction of the federal government), 

Congress must call the Convention. Congress’s ministerial 




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**20**

duty is to name the place and the time for the Convention. 

If it fails to exercise this power reasonably, the states 

themselves can and will override congressional inaction.

**6.5 - How Do States Choose Their Delegates?**

States are free to develop their own selection process for 

choosing their delegates – properly called “commissioners.” 

Historically, the most common method used was an 

election by a joint session of both chambers of the state 

legislature. This is true federalism in action. Each state has 

the power to choose its own commissioners in its own way.

**6.6 - What Happens at a Convention of States?**

Each state’s delegation participates in discussing, drafting, 

and voting on amendment proposals germane to the 

topic(s) stated in the 34 applications that triggered the 

C[[https://i2i.org/trying-to-abolishing-the-conventions-one-stateone-vote-rule-not-only-would-be-unconstitutional-it-wouldnt-be-worth-trying/|onvention. According to historical precedent, each state ]]

//Each state has the power to //

//choose its own commissioners //

//in its own way.//




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**21**

[[https://i2i.org/trying-to-abolishing-the-conventions-one-stateone-vote-rule-not-only-would-be-unconstitutional-it-wouldnt-be-worth-trying/|has one vote at the convention.]] Amendments sent to the 

states are merely suggestions,  and have no authority until 

ratified by the states. 

**6.7 - How are Proposed Amendments Ratified?**

Thirty-eight states must ratify any proposed amendments 

before they become part of the Constitution. Each 

proposed amendment is ratified separately by the states 

even if proposed as a package (like the Bill of Rights). 

Ratification may be done by state legislatures or by state 

ratification conventions, which represent the people 

more directly. Historically, ratification has been by state 

legislatures, with the exception of the Twenty-First 

Amendment, which was ratified by state conventions.  

**6.8 - How Do We Know How a Convention of **

**States Will Work?**

[[https://articlevinfocenter.com/list-conventions-states-colonies-american-history/|Interstate conventions were common during the Founding ]]

[[https://articlevinfocenter.com/list-conventions-states-colonies-american-history/|era, and the procedures and rules for such conventions ]]

[[https://articlevinfocenter.com/list-conventions-states-colonies-american-history/|were widely known. Additionally]], there have been many 

interstate conventions since the Founding era, all operating 

on similar rules. We can know how a Convention of 

States would operate by studying the historical record. 

The r[[https://conventionofstates.com/cos-simulation|ecent Convention of States Simulation (held in ]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/cos-simulation|Williamsburg, Virginia, in September of 2016)]] proved that 

these well-established procedures would be followed by 

any Convention of S[[files_10933_pdfto.html#35|tates held today (see page 32 for a ]]

[[files_10933_pdfto.html#35|summary of that event).]]




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

[[https://articlevinfocenter.com/list-conventions-states-colonies-american-history/|**22**]]

[[https://articlevinfocenter.com/list-conventions-states-colonies-american-history/|//Interstate conventions were common during //]]

[[https://articlevinfocenter.com/list-conventions-states-colonies-american-history/|//the Founding era, and the procedures and //]]

[[https://articlevinfocenter.com/list-conventions-states-colonies-american-history/|//rules for such conventions were widely known.//]]

**6.9 - Is a Convention of States Safe?**

Yes. The convention’s authority is limited to that conferred 

upon it by the state legislatures. Furthermore, the 

ratification process ensures that amendments that do 

not reflect the desires of the American people will not be 

[[files_10933_pdfto.html#26|passed. (Read more detailed responses to specific objections ]]

[[files_10933_pdfto.html#26|to a Convention of States on page 23 of this booklet.]])

[[https://articlevinfocenter.com/list-conventions-states-colonies-american-history/|**22**]]




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**23**

**Overcoming **

**Objections\\
FROM THE OPPOSITION**

**Objection 1: What happens if a Convention of **

**States becomes a “runaway convention” and **

**takes away our hard-won liberties?**

Answer: Despite a common myth promoted by some 

groups beginning in the 1960s, there is absolutely no 

precedent for a “runaway convention.” [[https://articlevinfocenter.com/list-conventions-states-colonies-american-history/|There have been ]]

[[https://articlevinfocenter.com/list-conventions-states-colonies-american-history/|at least 38 multi-state conventions in American history ]]

[[https://articlevinfocenter.com/list-conventions-states-colonies-american-history/|and not a single one has “run away.”]]  

Our Founders were masters of checks and balances, and 

they put numerous safeguards in place to ensure that a 

Convention would never run away. The most important 

of these safeguards is the requirement that 38 states 

ratify any proposal coming out of the Convention 

before any change is made to the Constitution. It is 

politically impossible for any change to be made to our 

Constitution that does not enjoy the overwhelming 

support of the American people. As respected 

Overcoming Objections From the Opposition




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**24**

constitutional scholar Professor Robert Natelson has 

pointed out, “There are far more checks on a runaway 

convention than on a runaway Congress.”

**Objection 2: Didn’t the original Constitutional **

**Convention run away?**

Answer: No, this is another myth that has been spread 

to justify judicial activism and other unconstitutional 

changes to our system of government. The entire claim 

that the Constitutional Convention ran away is based 

on the false idea that Congress called the Constitutional 

Convention for the sole purpose of amending the Articles 

of Confederation. But that’s not true. In fact, under the 

Articles of Confederation, Congress had no authority to 

[[https://conventionofstates.com/files/defying-conventional-wisdom-the-constitution-was-not-the-product-of-a-runaway-convention-by-michael-farris-1/download|call a convention. If you look at the historical records]], it was 

actually Virginia that called the Constitutional Convention 

in October 1786. Virginia called the Convention for 

the purpose of “render[ing] the Federal Constitution 

[system of government] adequate to the Exigencies of the 

Union,” an instruction that certainly included proposing 

//Our Founders were masters of checks and balances, //

//and they put numerous safeguards in place to //

//ensure that a convention would never run away. //




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

[[https://conventionofstates.com/videos/the-3000-page-constitution|**25**]]

a new Constitution. Congress didn’t enter the picture 

until months later when, in February 1787, it passed 

a resolution recommending that the Convention only 

amend the Articles of Confederation. In the end, all but 

two of the states attending the Convention (New York 

and Massachusetts) ignored Congress’s non-binding 

recommendation and gave their delegates instructions 

broad enough to allow them to propose a new Constitution.

  

**Objection 3: I like our Constitution the way it **

**is—short, simple, and fairly easy to understand. **

**Why should we change it?**

Answer: While many Americans now own a “Pocket 

Constitution,” the truth is that the Constitution we live by 

today—the supreme law of the land governing all American 

[[https://conventionofstates.com/videos/the-3000-page-constitution|//The Constitution we live by //]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/videos/the-3000-page-constitution|//today—the supreme law of the //]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/videos/the-3000-page-constitution|//land governing all American //]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/videos/the-3000-page-constitution|//citizens and states—actually fills a //]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/videos/the-3000-page-constitution|//book weighing nearly ten pounds //]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/videos/the-3000-page-constitution|//and running over 2,700 pages! //]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/videos/the-3000-page-constitution|**25**]]




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**26**

[[https://conventionofstates.com/videos/the-3000-page-constitution|citizens and states—actually fills a book weighing nearly ten ]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/videos/the-3000-page-constitution|pounds and running over 2,700 pages!  T]]hat’s because for 

more than a century, a “runaway constitutional convention” 

has been going on in the Supreme Court. [[https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/|The results are ]]

[[https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/|printed by our federal government in The Constitution of ]]

[[https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/|the United States Annotated Edition. E]]verything from 

abortion to same-sex marriage to ObamaCare and more 

are now “the law of the land.” An Article V Convention, 

which the Framers provided, is the only way to rein in our 

activist judiciary, reduce the size of the federal government, 

and restore our Constitution back to its original pocket size 

and its original intent.  

**Objection 4: The Constitution isn’t the **

**problem. The problem is federal officials. How **

**will amending the Constitution help?**

Answer: Most of the problems our country is facing are 

the result of constitutional interpretations that capitalize 

on ambiguities in the wording of certain phrases (e.g., the 

General Welfare Clause being interpreted as unlimited 

power to spend). We can restore the federal government 

to its proper, limited place only by clarifying the original 

meaning of those phrases through constitutional 

amendments—effectively overturning the bad Supreme 

Court precedents that have eviscerated our federal system.

Unfortunately, due to manipulation and expansion of federal 

government power by the Supreme Court, we the people 

must use a convention to put the federal government back 

into the constitutional box originally created by the Founders.




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**27**

**Objection 5: Article V says Congress “calls” the **

**Convention. Doesn’t this mean Congress will **

**control the Convention?**

Answer: No, Congress’s role is limited to issuing the “call” 

which sets the date, time, and location of the meeting once 

it receives 34 applications for a Convention on the same 

topic. In legal terms, this is referred to as a “ministerial” role. 

In this role, Congress is acting in a limited administrative 

capacity on behalf of the states. It has no authority beyond 

that, including no control over the delegates.

** **

**Objection 6: At a time of extreme **

**gerrymandering and in an environment of **

**unlimited political spending, wouldn’t a **

**Convention of States open up the Constitution **

**and our system of government to being rewritten **

**by special interest groups and the wealthy?**

//Congress is acting in a limited administrative //

//capacity on behalf of the states. It has no authority //

//beyond that, including no control over the delegates.//




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**28**

Answer: No. Over 400 applications for a Convention 

of States have been filed, but we have never had one 

because there have never been 34 applications seeking 

a Convention for the same purpose. This demonstrates 

that the purpose or scope specified in the applications 

does matter. States can instruct their respective delegates 

to entertain a narrower scope than what is within the 

aggregated application, but they cannot broaden the topic 

beyond that identified in the 34 passed applications.

**Objection 7: Why is the opposition to a **

**Convention of States issuing dire warnings **

**about its potential for national disaster?**

Answer: Nearly all opposition comes from the hard left, as 

was revealed in April of 2017. Led by the George Soros-

funded Common Cause, a coalition of radically anti-

constitutional activist groups united in their opposition to 

this constitutional solution. [[https://conventionofstates.com/news/an-article-v-convention-is-closer-than-anyone-realizes-anti-article-v-groups-ramp-up-attacks|The nearly 250 signers]] include 

the AFL-CIO, Planned Parenthood, Greenpeace, La Raza, 

the NAACP, and Clinton-founded groups like MoveOn.

org. These nearly 250 groups depend on a corrupt, runaway 

federal government to preserve their power, fill their 

coffers with taxpayer dollars, and advance their radical 

agendas. This kind of organized opposition means one thing: 

We are right above the target and they know it. These 

organizations share one goal: Keep the disastrous status 

quo of our federal government unchanged. A Convention 

of States is the only way to stop them.




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**29**

**Convention **

**of States**

**MODEL APPLICATION**

The COS application limits what can be proposed at a 

Convention of States.

The subject areas that can be considered at a Convention 

of States are strictly limited to those specified in the official 

applications submitted by all 34 (or more) states. Section 1 

of the application for a Convention of States was carefully 

worded to specify such limits. It reads:

**Section 1.  The legislature of the State of                         **

**hereby applies to Congress, under the provisions of **

**Article V of the Constitution of the United States, for the **

**calling of a Convention of the States limited to proposing **

**amendments to the Constitution of the United States that **

**impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit **

**the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and **

**limit the terms of office for its officials and for members **

**of Congress.**

Any amendment submitted by the Convention of States 

which goes beyond the scope plainly stated in Section 1 

cannot be considered for ratification by the states.

Convention of States Model Application




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**30**

**Amendments**

**TO CONSIDER AT A **

**CONVENTION OF STATES**

At an Article V Convention of States, delegates will have the 

opportunity to debate and pass amendments that could: 

•  Limit Supreme Court Justices to nine members. 

•  Prevent the addition of states without the affirmative 

consent of three quarters of the existing states. 

•  Require members of Congress to live under the same laws 

they pass for the rest of us. 

•  Impose term limits on members of Congress. 

•  Require a balanced federal budget. 

•  Impose limits on federal spending and/or taxation. 

•  Get the federal government out of our healthcare system. 

•  Get the federal government out of our education system. 

•  Stop unelected federal bureaucrats from imposing regulations. 

Amendments to Consider at a Convention of States




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**31**

•  Set term limits for Supreme Court Justices. 

•  Set term limits for federal bureaucrats, ending the 

dominance of the “swamp.” 

•  Remove the authority of the federal government over 

state energy policy. 

•  Force the federal government to honor its commitment 

to return federal lands to the states.

At this Convention, delegates from the states will gather for 

the sole purpose of proposing amendments that limit the 

power, size, and spending of the federal government, and 

impose term limits on its officials and members of Congress.

//Delegates from the states will gather for the sole purpose //

//of proposing amendments that limit the power, size, and //

//spending of the federal government, and impose term //

//limits on its officials and members of Congress.//

**31**




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**32**

**Convention **

**of States\\
SIMULATION**

//“The events at Williamsburg will be remembered as a turning //

//point in history. The spirit of liberty and self-governance has //

//been reignited.” //

– Michael Farris, Co-Founder, Convention of States Project

[[https://conventionofstates.com/cos-simulation|The first ever Convention of States Simulation convened in ]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/cos-simulation|Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, Sept. 21-23, 2016]]. One-

hundred and thirty-seven commissioners representing 

every state in the nation gathered together to undertake 

this historic endeavor. The Convention operated flawlessly, 

[[https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/conventionofstates/pages/6429/attachments/original/1474237364/simulation_rules_final3.pdf?|according to a set of rules drafted by Article V scholar ]]

Prof. Rob Natelson and approved by the COS Caucus, the 

largest state legislator caucus in America.

[[https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/conventionofstates/pages/6429/attachments/original/1474994742/Final_Convention_Report_with_Votes.pdf?|The Convention passed amendment proposals on the ]]

following six ideas:

1.  The public debt shall not be increased except upon a 

super majority vote in Congress. 

2.  Term limits on members of Congress. 

Convention of States Simulation




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**33**

3. Limiting federal overreach by restoring the Commerce 

Clause to its original meaning. 

4. Limiting the power of federal regulations by allowing 

for a congressional override. 

5. Requiring a super majority of Congress to increase 

federal taxes and repealing the 16th Amendment. 

6. Giving the states (by a 3/5ths vote) the power to 

abrogate any federal law, regulation, or executive order.

If you want to know how an actual Convention of States 

will operate, learn more about the simulated convention, 

and watch video of the proceedings, go to 

[[http://www.conventionofstates.com/cossim|//**www.conventionofstates.com/cossim.**//]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/cos-simulation|//Learn more about the Simulated Convention of //]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/cos-simulation|//States by visiting conventionofstates.com/cossim//]]




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**34**

**About**

**CONVENTION OF STATES **

**ACTION (COSA)**

Convention of States Action is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit 

organization founded for the purpose of stopping the 

runaway power of the federal government. We believe 

Washington, D.C., is broken and will not fix itself. The 

federal government is spending this country into the 

ground, seizing power from the states, and taking liberty 

from the people.

We have a solution as big as the problem.

COSA’s two-part plan is to urge and empower state 

legislators to call a Convention of States.

1.  Article V requires that 34 states pass resolutions to 

call a Convention of States on the same subject before 

the meeting can be called. We are working with state 

legislators around the country to call a Convention for 

a specific subject: to impose fiscal restraints on the 

federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of 

the federal government, and limit the terms of office 

for its officials and for members of Congress.

About Convention of States Action (COSA)




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

[[https://conventionofstates.com/take_action|**35**]]

2.  We believe grassroots support is the key to successfully 

calling a Convention—and also the key to ensuring that 

[[https://conventionofstates.com/take_action|good amendments get ratified. We are building a political ]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/take_action|operation in all 50 states, r]]ecruiting at least 100 citizens 

in every state legislative district in the nation.

**Contact information** 

COS Action

5850 San Felipe, Suite 580A

Houston, TX 77057

540-441-7227

<info@conventionofstates.com>

[[https://conventionofstates.com/take_action|//We believe grassroots support is the key to //]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/take_action|//successfully calling a Convention—and also the key //]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/take_action|//to ensuring that good amendments get ratified.//]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/take_action|**35**]]




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**36**

**Get Involved**

**IN MAKING HISTORY**

We always knew the statist ruling “elite” would one day 

attack, but our growing success has forced them to act 

faster than we anticipated. And you can be sure, those 

attacks are just beginning. Today they are coming from the 

radical left, but the assaults will expand to include every 

person and organization in Washington, D.C., with a vested 

interest in keeping power there. To ensure that we respond 

effectively, we’re 

focused on increasing 

our grassroots army 

to many millions of 

Americans. You can be 

a part of this historic 

grassroots movement 

by getting involved in 

four unique ways.

**12.1.  Sign & Send**

First, photocopy and 

sign the Convention of States petition on pages 40-41 of 

this booklet and mail it to Convention of States Action, 

5850 San Felipe, Suite 580A, Houston, TX 77057 and send 

[[http://www.conventionofstates.com|your friends to www.conventionofstates.com to sign the]] 

petition. Right now, we have over 5 million supporters, but 

Get Involved in Making History

[[https://conventionofstates.com/sign-the-convention-of-states-petition-digi-pg-06-21|//Photocopy and sign the //]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/sign-the-convention-of-states-petition-digi-pg-06-21|//Convention of States //]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/sign-the-convention-of-states-petition-digi-pg-06-21|//petition on pages 40-41.//]]




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**37**

we’re looking to more than double our citizen activist army 

by the year’s end. If every supporter sends the petition to 

five of their friends, we’ll hit that goal in no time.

**12.2.  Volunteer**

Volunteering is the easiest way to get involved in the fight 

in your state. As a volunteer, your primary tasks will be 

contacting your state legislators and asking that they support 

the Convention of States resolution, spreading the word about 

Article V to your friends and family, and attending legislative 

meetings at your state capital. You can commit as much or 

as little time as your schedule allows — we’re just excited to 

welcome you aboard! For more information, visit:   

[[http://www.conventionofstates.com/take_action|**www.conventionofstates.com/take_action**]]**.**

[[https://conventionofstates.com/take_action|//Volunteering is the easiest way to get //]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/take_action|//involved in the fight in your state. //]]




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**38**

Our volunteer teams are another great way to become 

involved. The Social Media Warriors spread the word online and 

the State Follow-Up Team welcomes new volunteers. For more 

[[http://www.conventionofstates.com/take_action|information, visit: ]]

[[http://www.conventionofstates.com/take_action|**www.conventionofstates.com/take_action**]]**.**

**12.3.  Be a Leader**

We have leadership positions to fit any skill set. Visit:  

[[http://www.conventionofstates.com/take_action|**www.conventionofstates.com/take_action** and apply to be a:]]

•  State Director

•  District Captain

•  Coalition Director (e.g., Veterans, Young Americans) 

•  State Videographer

•  State Communications Coordinator

•  Legislative Liaison

•  Coalitions Director

•  State Media Liaison

•  State Tech Assistant/Manager

•  State Content Writer

•  State Grassroots Coordinator

**12.4.  Spread the Word**

Share this booklet with a friend, family member, or an 

elected official. Visit us online for more information at:

[[http://www.conventionofstates.com|www.conventionofstates.com]]

[[http://fb.com/conventionofstates|fb.com/conventionofstates]]

[[http://instagram.com/conventionofstates|instagram.com/conventionofstates]]

[[http://twitter.com/COSProject|twitter.com/COSProject]]

(540) 441-7227 (to request a speaker)




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**39**

**Convention **

**of States\\
PETITION**

Convention of States Petition

Make photocopies of this form for you and others to sign. 

Mail signed copies to Convention of States Action, 5850 

San Felipe, Suite 580A, Houston, TX 77057. If you prefer 

[[files_10933_pdfto.html#43|to sign online, click the link on the next page]].

//Almost everyone knows that our federal government is on a //

//dangerous course. The unsustainable debt combined with crushing //

//regulations on states and businesses is a recipe for disaster.//

//What is less known is that the Founders gave state legislatures //

//the power to act as a final check on abuses of power by //

//Washington, DC. Article V of the U.S. Constitution authorizes //

//the state legislatures to call a Convention for proposing needed //

//amendments to the Constitution. This process does not require //

//the consent of the federal government in Washington, DC.//

//I support the Convention of States Project; a national effort to call //

//a Convention under Article V of the United States Constitution, //

//restricted to proposing amendments that will impose fiscal restraints //

//on the federal government, limit its power and jurisdiction, and //

//impose term limits on its officials and members of Congress.//




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**CONVENTION OF STATES**

**40**

//I want our state to be one of the necessary 34 states to pass //

//a resolution calling for this kind of Article V Convention. You //

//can find a copy of the model resolution and the Handbook //

//for Legislators and Citizens (which explains the process and //

//answers many questions) here: //

[[https://conventionofstates.com/handbook_pdf|//**https:%%//%%conventionofstates.**//]]

[[https://conventionofstates.com/handbook_pdf|//**com/handbook_pdf**//]]

// //

//I ask that you support the Convention of States Project and //

//consider becoming a co-sponsor of the resolution. Please //

//respond to my request by informing the national COS team of //

//your position, or sending them any questions you may have://

[[mailto:info%40conventionofstates.com?subject=|//**info@conventionofstates.com**//]]// or **(540) 441-7227**.//

//Thank you so much for your service to the people of our district.//

Respectfully,

[[https://conventionofstates.com/sign-the-convention-of-states-petition-digi-pg-06-21|**CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION**]]




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[[http://www.conventionofstates.com|**WWW.CONVENTIONOFSTATES.COM**]]




====== Document Outline ======

  * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#4|Who Decides?]]
  * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#7|Article V of the U.S. Constitution]]
  * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#9|The Problem]]
  * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#14|Support for a Convention of States]]
  * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#21|Answers to Common Questions]]
  * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#26|Overcoming Objections From the Opposition]]
  * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#32|Convention of States Model Application]]
  * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#33|Amendments to Consider at a Convention of States]]
  * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#35|Convention of States Simulation]]
  * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#37|About Convention of States Action (COSA)]]
  * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#39|Get Involved in Making History]]
  * [[files_10933_pdfto.html#42|Convention of States Petition]]


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