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At Concord forum Lepore says Article V is too hard; urges civic renewal rather than quick legal fixes
Summary
During audience Q&A, Jill Lepore said scholars generally agree Article V sets a high bar for amendments and urged rebuilding civil society and democratic deliberation (not just court victories) as the path toward constitutional change; she also connected contemporary questions about AI governance to constitutional inaction.
During audience questions at the Concord Museum, an attendee asked whether the framers set Article V's thresholds too high. Jill Lepore replied that there is broad scholarly consensus the bar is high. She noted the proposal and ratification math—two-thirds of both houses to propose and three-quarters of states to ratify—and said that historical patterns suggest lengthy timeframes are typical for successful amendments.
An audience member raised Citizens United and the American Promise movement to reverse it; Lepore said there is a chance for amendment campaigns but emphasized that organizing, deliberation and sustained civic engagement are the only reliable paths. "I think the solution is winning back civil society, winning back democratic deliberation, winning back the art of persuasion," Lepore said.
She also said in response to a separate question that the 250th anniversary programming and contemporary concerns (including AI) may spur renewed public reflection on constitutional design, but she warned there is no quick fix.
