The Constitution is just fine, thanks

Re “Our broken Constitution,” Opinion, Oct. 16

Sanford Levinson blames many of America’s problems on our “extraordinarily undemocratic” Constitution and asserts that more democracy is the solution. He has it backward.

America’s Constitution is a far cry from endorsing majority rule. Our founders focused first on what powers to delegate to the federal government. That is why the principle of delegated powers and the Bill of Rights primarily concern what the federal government is not allowed to do, reinforced by such “undemocratic” ideas as the separation of powers -- to protect Americans against majorities using government to abuse rights.

Despite constitutionally limited, enumerated federal powers, no area of our lives now escapes its reach on behalf of self-interested majorities. America’s most serious governance problems trace to the insecurity of individual rights our country was founded to protect, not too little “democracy.”

GARY M. GALLES

Malibu

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The answers to Levinson’s challenge that our Constitution doesn’t work well are pretty simple. It has worked wonderfully for more than 200 years. If you want the parliamentary system, move to Britain. And perhaps California doesn’t get as much money back as it pays in taxes because its politicians are inept at the system compared with those from other states.

There: Bury Levinson’s ideas for another 200 years.

PAUL KNOPICK

Laguna Hills

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Levinson provides as one example that our Constitution is broken the fact that our president cannot be removed because of incompetence. But he has to remember that, according to the Constitution, the president is only required to swear to perform “to the best of my ability.” That being said, I would say our current president has not broken his oath of office and has performed as we could and should have expected.

PAUL BURNS

Granada Hills