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CCEA Frequently Asked Questions (Gateway FAQ)


This is designed to answer the  first objections people raise.

1. Is this a radical or partisan movement?

No.


CCEA is nonpartisan and constitutional.


Article V is part of the original Constitution.
We are using the process the framers deliberately designed.


This is not about left or right.
It is about institutional accountability.

2. Can an Article V Convention rewrite the Constitution?

No.


A convention can only propose amendments.


No proposal becomes law unless:


  • 38 states ratify it


This is the highest legal threshold in American law.

3. What prevents a “runaway convention”?

Multiple safeguards:


  • The convention can only propose
  • States control delegate selection
  • Congress controls the mode of ratification
  • 38 states must approve
  • Senate equality cannot be changed


The ratification requirement alone blocks extreme outcomes.

4. Why not just pass laws instead of amending the Constitution?

Because the problem is structural.


Congress controls:


  • Its own ethics rules
  • Its own compensation
  • Its own privileges


Laws written by those who benefit from them cannot reliably solve this.


Some problems require constitutional limits, not statutes.

5. Who decides what amendments are proposed?

Delegates selected by the states.


But no matter what is proposed, nothing becomes law without:


  • Broad national agreement
  • 38 states ratifying



The people, through the states, have the final word.

6. Is this dangerous for democracy?

The opposite.


Article V is democracy’s safety valve.



When lawful reform is blocked, instability grows.
Article V channels reform peacefully and constitutionally.

7. What is the Convention of States?

It is the leading state-led effort to invoke Article V.


Its application authorizes amendments on three subjects:


  • Fiscal restraints
  • Limiting federal power
  • Term limits


CCEA supports this effort and advances accountability reforms within that scope.

8. What kinds of reforms does CCEA support?

Reforms that:


  • Prevent Congress from setting its own pay
  • End congressional self-policing of ethics
  • Limit revolving-door privileges
  • Impose term limits
  • Strengthen fiscal accountability


All framed as limits on power, not expansions.

9. Is this realistic?

Yes.


Nineteen states have already passed the Convention of States application.
More are actively considering it.


This is the most advanced Article V effort in American history.

10. How can I help?

You can:


  • Learn and share accurate information
  • Support state-level efforts
  • Volunteer
  • Help with outreach, law, or policy
  • Donate to sustain the work