Guideline for changes

Latest revision as of 12:00, 5 November 2015

Things to consider while discussing improvements to the Amendment, in priority order:

1. Does the change help to increase liberty?
2. Does it protect our rights?
3. Does the change improve and preserve justice?
4. Will the change encourage compassion in society?
   1. Does the change respect life?
   2. Does it promote peace?
   3. Does it promote health and wellbeing?
5. Does it promote happiness?
6. How does the change effect the democratic process?
   1. Will it help make people more informed?
   2. Will the change increase participation?
   3. How does it effect suffage?
   4. Will it raise the level of integrity of governance?
   5. Does the change increase government transparancy?
   6. Will the change make government more efficient?
7. Does the change help keep us strong and secure?
   1. Does it encouage us to pass on our core vaules to our posterity?
   2. Does it discourage concentration of power?
   3. Does it deter agressors?
   4. Does it encourage innovation?
8. Is the change future focused?
9. Does it improve the clarity of the document and reduce ambiguity?
10. Does it shorten and simplify the document?
11. Does it improve the political viability of the Amendment?

Not all need to be satisfied with each change and occasionally a very small sacrifice of a higher priority criterion can be made if it makes a great contribution to a lower priority criterion. (For example, requiring public officials to disclose certain information; sacrificing a bit of privacy for those who hold public office in order to assure integrity and transparancy.)