One Sentence Summary
The Liberty Amendments by Mark R. Levin provides suggestions on how we can restore the American Constitution and address the flaws of the current political system.
Book Genre
Non-fiction, Political Science, Analysis of Government and Politics.
Main Topic of the Book
Mark R. Levin’s The Liberty Amendments presents readers with an examination of the flaws in the American Constitution. An analysis of the modern political system is given, along with suggestions on how to restore the Republic through the implementation of 11 amendments.
Key Ideas
- The United States Constitution is flawed, and the political system has been manipulated by those in power to the detriment of the citizenry.
- The federal government has become increasingly centralized, and states can no longer rely on themselves to be able to adequately tackle issues facing their citizens.
- A constitutional renewal is needed, and Mark R. Levin suggests 11 amendments to restore the republic and empower the states using the power given to them by the Constitution.
Main Parts of the Book and a Short Summary
The Liberty Amendments is divided into 10 Chapters, dealing in-depth with how the American political system has been corrupted and how Levin’s 11 suggested constitutional amendments can restore the Republic.
The book’s Introduction provides an overview of the government’s manipulation of the Constitution, as well as informing the reader of Levin’s proposed 11 modernizing amendments.
Chapter 1 scrutinizes the division of powers between federal and state governments that is detailed in the Constitution, and how it has changed and been manipulated by those in power.
In Chapter 2 Levin explains how the power of the federal courts has steadily increased, allowing for increased centralization of power and control.
Chapter 3 delves into how the common law system has allowed for the majority to be trampled by a powerful minority, and how to address this through constitutional amendments.
Chapter 4 explains how term limits on elected officials could help to stop the professionalization of politics, and how this is essential for reviving a free republic.
Chapter 5 details the issues surrounding campaign finance, and how it affects the credibility and fairness of elections.
Chapter 6 discusses taxation and how it has been used to further empower the federal government, and how states could gain fiscal independence through constitutional amendments.
Chapter 7 addresses freedom of speech, and how the protections of the First Amendment have been weakened by the government.
Chapter 8 deals with the Second Amendment, explaining how it has been grossly misunderstood and how states could benefit from clarifying language in the amendment.
Chapter 9 looks to restore the power of the states to control their education systems, and how state education standards would be improved if proposed constitutional amendments were made.
Chapter 10 examines the issue of immigration and how enforcement of the laws that are already in place would make it much easier to address the issue.
Finally, the Conclusion provides a summary of the Levin’s proposed amendments and how they could fundamentally alter the shape of the US Constitution.
Key Takeaways
- The Constitution is flawed and must be renewed.
- The power of the federal government has been abused and needs to be rebalanced.
- Term limits on elected offices could help to restore a free Republic.
- Campaign finance needs to be addressed.
- States must be allowed to set their own taxation standards.
- The protection of the First Amendment must be restored.
- The Second Amendment must be clarified.
- States should be in control of their education systems.
- Laws relating to immigration must be enforced.
Author’s Background and Qualifications
Mark R. Levin is a bestselling author, syndicated talk-radio host, president of Landmark Legal Foundation, and former chief of staff for Attorney General Edwin Meese. He has written six New York Times bestsellers, and has been awarded the Marconi Award, one of the highest honors in the broadcast industry.
Target Audience
The target audience for The Liberty Amendments are those interested in examining the flaws of the American government and the Constitution, and in learning more about Levin’s 11 suggested amendments to restore the Republic.
Publisher and First Publication Date
The Liberty Amendments was published on August 27th, 2013 by Simon & Schuster.