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The Liberty Amendments: Restoring the American Republic Hardcover – August 13, 2013

4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 4,346 ratings

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MARK R. LEVIN HAS MADE THE CASE, IN NUMEROUS NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING BOOKS—MEN IN BLACK, LIBERTY AND TYRANNY, AND AMERITOPIA—THAT THE PRINCIPLES UNDERGIRDING OUR SOCIETY AND GOVERNMENTAL SYSTEM ARE UNRAVELING. IN THE LIBERTY AMENDMENTS, HE TURNS TO THE FOUNDING FATHERS AND THE CONSTITUTION ITSELF FOR GUIDANCE IN RESTORING THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC.

For a century, the Statists have steadfastly constructed a federal Leviathan, distorting and evading our constitutional system in pursuit of an all-powerful, ubiquitous central government. The result is an ongoing and growing assault on individual liberty, state sovereignty, and the social compact. Levin argues that if we cherish our American heritage, it is time to embrace a constitutional revival.

The delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia and the delegates to each state’s ratification convention foresaw a time when—despite their best efforts to forestall it—the Federal government might breach the Constitution’s limits and begin oppressing the people. Agencies such as the IRS and EPA and programs such as Obamacare demonstrate that the Framers’ fear was prescient. Therefore, the Framers provided two methods for amending the Constitution. The second was intended for our current circumstances—empowering the states to bypass Congress and call a convention for the purpose of amending the Constitution. Levin argues that we, the people, can avoid a perilous outcome by seeking recourse, using the method called for in the Constitution itself.

The Framers adopted ten constitutional amendments, called the Bill of Rights, that would preserve individual rights and state authority. Levin lays forth eleven specific prescriptions for restoring our founding principles, ones that are consistent with the Framers’ design. His proposals—such as term limits for members of Congress and Supreme Court justices and limits on federal taxing and spending—are pure common sense, ideas shared by many. They draw on the wisdom of the Founding Fathers—including James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and numerous lesser-known but crucially important men—in their content and in the method for applying them to the current state of the nation.

Now is the time for the American people to take the first step toward reclaiming what belongs to them. The task is daunting, but it is imperative if we are to be truly free.


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Editorial Reviews

Review

"[Mark Levin] has done an incredible job of drafting these proposed amendments aimed at re-establishing the balance between the federal and state governments...let our national conversation begin, and let us thank Mark Levin for initiating it." -- David Limbaugh, New York Times bestselling author of The Great Destroyer

"Mark Levin’s
The Liberty Amendments is the revolutionary blueprint millions of Americans have been waiting for...carefully and powerfully written." -- Jeffrey Lord, The American Spectator

“Mark Levin's book is a serious work that can serve as an action plan for curing what ails us.” -- Cal Thomas, The Washington Examiner

About the Author

Mark R. Levin, nationally syndicated talk-radio host, host of LevinTV, chairman of Landmark Legal Foundation, and the host of the FOX News show Life, Liberty, & Levin, is the author of six consecutive New York Times #1 bestsellers: Liberty and Tyranny, Plunder and Deceit, Rediscovering Americanism, Ameritopia, The Liberty Amendments, and Unfreedom of the Press. Liberty and Tyranny spent three months at #1 and sold more than 1.5 million copies. His books Men in Black and Rescuing Sprite were also New York Times bestsellers. Levin is an inductee of the National Radio Hall of Fame and was a top adviser to several members of President Ronald Reagan’s cabinet. He holds a BA from Temple University and a JD from Temple University Law School.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Threshold Editions; First Edition (August 13, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1451606273
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1451606270
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.38 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 4,346 ratings

About the author

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Mark R. Levin
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Mark R. Levin is a nationally syndicated talk radio host and president of Landmark Legal Foundation. He has also worked as an attorney in the private sector and as a top adviser and administrator to several members of President Reagan's cabinet. He is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling book Liberty and Tyranny, as well as New York Times bestselling books Rescuing Sprite and Men in Black: How the Supreme Court Is Destroying America, Mark holds a B.A. from Temple University and a J.D. from Temple University School of Law.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4,346 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book readable, masterful, and clear. They also describe it as informative, well-researched, and important. Readers mention the book is chock-full of liberty-loving ideas based on the founding documents. They praise the author as intelligent, a terrific thinker, and an exceptional scholar.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

1,015 customers mention "Readability"983 positive32 negative

Customers find the book readable and masterful. They appreciate the clear, concise language and the overview of the current Federal system. Readers also mention that the message is profound and worth reading.

"...It is so well researched, and so well written, it is a page turner for those of us that enjoy History while multitasking to worry about our..." Read more

"...It is quite remarkable to find a book that provides such a readable and fundamental summary of our political history and the core principles that..." Read more

"...It is a work of sheer brilliance, well researched and cited back to the very words of our nation's founders, and is a must-read for any..." Read more

"...In clear concise language, Mr. Levin gives an overview of our current Federal government condition, and it is painful to read how far the 'leviathan'..." Read more

800 customers mention "Information quality"800 positive0 negative

Customers find the book carefully researched, important, and informative. They say it provides a fundamental summary of our political history. Readers also mention the book is well thought out and substantially documented.

"...It is so well researched, and so well written, it is a page turner for those of us that enjoy History while multitasking to worry about our..." Read more

"...remarkable to find a book that provides such a readable and fundamental summary of our political history and the core principles that gave our..." Read more

"...It is a work of sheer brilliance, well researched and cited back to the very words of our nation's founders, and is a must-read for any..." Read more

"...Why? It's a richer experience and we, as informed citizens and patriots all, need to be richly informed in order to engage the federal government..." Read more

195 customers mention "Constitution"192 positive3 negative

Customers find the book brilliantly written by a brilliant constitutional scholar. They say it provides a clear, concise constitutional pathway for re-righting the national balance. Readers also mention the book is chock-full of liberty-loving ideas based on the founding documents.

"...This book is the perfect program for disillusioned liberals, exasperated moderates, frustrated libertarians, and dissatisfied conservatives...." Read more

"...This is truly a book about Liberty and Justice for all...." Read more

"...These amendments are intended to strengthen and protect the principles upon which the constitution is based from those that would subvert them to..." Read more

"...Repeal of the 17th is the most direct, best involves states self-interest, and would immediately shift the balance between states and the federal..." Read more

162 customers mention "Intelligence"162 positive0 negative

Customers find the author intelligent, brilliant, and a great educator. They appreciate his excellent recommendations and sophisticated thought. Readers mention the book engenders hope for thinking patriots.

"Mark Levin is a genius. I have been a fan of his since I first heard him on the radio about 5 years ago...." Read more

"...I try and listen to his show every day. He is very intelligent. I am a big fan...." Read more

"...Levin is able to utilize his gift for concise yet intellectual and sophisticated thought in order to lay out the case for the "other" amendment..." Read more

"...It also engenders hope to the thinking patriot that is sincerely focused on being part of the solution, rather than part of the chronic, insidious,..." Read more

62 customers mention "Value for money"50 positive12 negative

Customers find the book worth the purchase, saying it's good for serious thought-provoking ideas. They say the education value is priceless, and it's worthy to be kept right beside their copies of the U.S. Constitution. Readers also mention the author makes an absolutely compelling case on how to save the country.

"The book looks beautiful, and it looks like it's brand new." Read more

"...diffusion of power embedded in the Constitution alone are worth the price of the book...." Read more

"...But this book is well worth the effort!..." Read more

"...Amazon has them all in stock at a very reasonable price and fast delivery. Want to end up like Cuba or the old USSR?..." Read more

39 customers mention "Hope"39 positive0 negative

Customers find the book poignant, passionate, and a wake-up call for the future. They say it awakens their sensitivity to their loss and what they must do. Readers also mention that Mr. Levin makes serious and interesting arguments.

"...motivational and thought provoking... ultimately it's profoundly personal, intellectually and emotionally...." Read more

"...At last! Something of substance. Something for discussion. Something to lean on, to have hope for...." Read more

"...propose amendments to our Constitution is sound, logical and without emotional basis except for a love of country...." Read more

"...when the issues are seen for what they are: Critical, crucial and existential...." Read more

Return the Government to the Constitution
5 out of 5 stars
Return the Government to the Constitution
One can count on Mark Levin to present a well grounded constitutionally valid book. The main focus here is returning the federal government to its constitutional role. Mark proposes a plan to do this by using state legislatures to reign in the federal government. The mechanism is present in Article V of the Constitution, which allows states to propose and ratify amendments. While at the convention ANY amendment may be proposed, only with ratification of 3/4 of the state legislatures (38 states) will the proposed amendment become law. A high bar indeed! The amendment with the best chance is congressional term limits - which is sorely needed and extremely popular. Citizens are weary of lifetime representatives living in DC rather than their districts/states.Scot Wolf. MN Convention of States Coalitions Director. Author of The Bible and Constitution made America Great.
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2013
Students of History will love this book, even if they favor the growing Police State. For 110 years, the ANTI-Constitutionalists (Progressives = leftists = Socialists = Marxists = Communists = You-Name-Them) have tried every way they can to undermine the Freedoms provided by the U.S. Constitution, all in order to try to build YET another Utopia -- they are ALWAYS sure they can do better than their old Marxist Icons like Castro, Che the Mass Murderer, All of the Soviets of old (and new), Europe's Latest Popular Leftist (insert Name Here) and now listening to Jeffery Immelt lamenting and drooling over Communism stating "If we were only more like China, we could fix things faster - no Congress to get in the way!" - Is that right Jeff? A traitor who moves G.E. to China, section by section, division by division - as fast as he can to 25 cent/hr labor - But he will find out the bad side of the beast shortly when they want one thing, and he wants another, and there are NO COURTS to side with him. None will even entertain a visit - Then his realization will be swift - like a ton of bricks and they may fall on him and very well kill him. Yes, we have let them all do it by believing and electing Republican Progressives who swore they were NOT - who said they were good little Conservative Constitutionalists (A Pair of Bushes were the latest), then they voted to GROW THE BEAST, and grow it they did. Bush rerun (No,. 2), took us deep into debt- deeper than anyone in history - but now the debt will have been TRIPLED by a true Marxist (intentional wanton destruction? We may never know...). We now spend 50% above what we take in and print dollars as fast as we can. Countries are dropping the dollar as their reserve Currency because they no longer trust it -The dollar is in real trouble - doomed in the near future. We now find ourselves with the IRS employing SWAT Teams with Automatic Weapons (or did you all miss that on the 6 O'clock news?) - No, it wasn't there, was it? But it is very real. 90% of the major News Agencies work hard to HIDE scary things from you. America, you are just too dumb to understand that it is all for your own good. The news people are sure of it - after all, THEY are the smart ones since they too swear to the Progressive god of a future Utopia, certain they will be saved when it all crashes - but they don't know history at all- they are the first to be AXED. Sometimes literally, after all, you don't want someone around that the people trust and know, who may turn on you, do you? But they ignore history and they protect our new Royalty - our Imperial President who makes new laws with the stroke of a pen. (Like the Chinese do! Jeffery come back... we can make instant laws, too! BIG ONES no one will read...).
WE HAVE BUT ONE CHANCE - AND NOT MUCH TIME - The Liberty Amendments is that chance. It is so well researched, and so well written, it is a page turner for those of us that enjoy History while multitasking to worry about our disappearing freedoms, and while keeping a job and paying higher and higher taxes to buy more votes with FREE the Phones, FREE Cash Cards, FREE Housing - FREE you name it, for your vote, that is, all for the permanent NON-Working class, mostly by choice. Then seeing the IRS sicked on people like a rabid Pit Bull drudges up old Nixonian nightmares, only this is 50 times as many violations, the IRS 20 times the size it was for Nixon, and now heavily armed - and worse, very soon now, a few words from them and NO DOCTOR OR HOSPITAL will see you. "For some reason you are marked at NOT COVERED, sir". Yet you KNOW you paid for your government mandated insurance that millions of other were waived out of - for some reason. But not you. No, not you. What happened? You were one of the shrinking class of working taxpayers who liked their freedom - what is left of it.
And no, this is NOT a work of fiction - not a dream you will wake up from shortly, and not some far away country where you read about a Marxist take- over and say - it can never happen here.... can it? Did it? Is it?
The Liberty Amendments. GET IT NOW. READ IT. DO IT. Be part of this BOLD PLAN to save the Republic - part of this Genius that is Mark Levin - no less than a phenomenon - nothing less than a GENIUS in my book. And do it before your medical Insurance is PERMANENTLY CANCELLED by the IRS. -- 1040 CANCELLED - TAX PAYER DECEASED.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2013
The Liberty Amendments is written with a degree of eloquence and brilliance that one rarely finds. This certainly isn't the usual "cookie cutter" rant coming from the Right. This book will find a welcome home on the selves of the old school Liberals who organized their political beliefs around individual Liberty, as well as many conservatives who yearn for constitutionally limited and fiscally responsible government. And Libertarians will be thrilled to their toes to find such a strong voice supporting freedom from an increasingly dysfunctional government. As a matter of simple fact... if you are uncomfortable about today's political situation and the feeling of crisis it engenders (unless you are a far left Progressive) then you will find value here.

We see the corruption, dishonesty, and partisan gridlock in Washington that leaves us with government that is ineffective in dealing with any real problems, yet has itself become our greatest problem in this, a nation becoming divided against itself. Every night's news is filled with the doings and drama in Washington, yet the news is rarely good, and we sit spellbound watching an endless train wreck that promises only to get worse.

It is quite remarkable to find a book that provides such a readable and fundamental summary of our political history and the core principles that gave our nation such promise and such greatness, while at the same time clearly stating the current problems in crisp detail, and then providing a specific and workable plan to save what I was coming to believe had grown beyond the control of good and honest men and women to fix.

There is a real exhilaration in being able to see a solution. Imagine the difference one might feel between having a cancer that is believed to be untreatable, and instead hearing the doctor say, we have a treatment that will work. Doctor Levin does just that, and the feeling of relief is palpable.

I don't agree 100% with each of his solutions, and I even have a few ideas on amendments that I think would be useful - but until I read this book, I didn't have the energy to pursue those ideas, or the hope that a path existed where they would work.

I have no doubt that like Thomas Paine's pamphlets energized a battle that won our freedom in 1776, that this book can and will become the plan that energizes American citizens to effectively say, "No more!" This is the battle plan for citizens at the grass roots, be they Republicans, Democrats who are not statists or far leftists or Progressives, Independents or Libertarians to make government once again workable and to stave of this blind run towards unsustainable, unreasonable and chaotic destruction that is government policy today.

I expect to see new organizations that form around the promotion of a set of Liberty Amendments. I look forward to joining and adding my energy. Watch as a steam-roller effect frightens the Washington politicians into passing their own, and probably watered down, amendments as a way to stop the steam-roller. I don't think it will work. Congress is held in too low an esteem and just isn't trusted any more.

If you believe that a continuing, angry congressional gridlock is dangerous to our national future, if you believe that our nation cannot continue to build every greater debts with no end ever to come into sight, if you believe that it is possible for government to become too large, and if you believe that there is little to no chance that the politicians will fix these problems... then buy this book.

If you would like to feel that we can bring about a good change, and if you would like to feel a deep and satisfying hope that we can make a better future... then buy this book.

If you are young and want to have a future where the promise is at least as great as that your parents enjoyed, or if you have lived long enough to remember when things were much better and don't want them to get worse, or if you despair over what kind of life will be available to your children and your grandchildren... then buy this book.
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Top reviews from other countries

Chris B
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a must read for everyone 15-16 years and ...
Reviewed in Canada on August 16, 2015
This is a must read for everyone 15-16 years and older...It should be an eye-opener for everyone living in the West and enjoying the life and freedoms of the the civil society. Do not take these for granted...read the book and turn the tide back...
2 people found this helpful
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Paladin
5.0 out of 5 stars A National Prescription
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 9, 2016
Precisely - but not completely - what the U.S. needs! Nothing will change until we get an Article V convention!
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 6, 2015
AMAZING book highlight a solution for politics in America today!
Rick H.
5.0 out of 5 stars A+
Reviewed in Canada on February 10, 2014
Levin is one of North America's leading political philosophers. This book is well grounded in history and philosophy and, as usual, displays an uncommon ability to simplify the complicated - a sure sign that the author knows his stuff.

Highly recommended, even if you are not American.
A. D. Thibeault
4.0 out of 5 stars A Brief Summary and Review
Reviewed in Canada on September 17, 2013
*A full executive summary of this book will be available at newbooksinbrief dot com, on or before Tuesday, September 24.

When the early states came together to discuss the possibility of establishing a confederacy, they did so with a great deal of hope, but also a great deal of trepidation. The hope was that a federal government might be formed that could handle the few issues that were common to all the states but which could not be dealt with by the states individually. The fears, on the other hand, were that this government might come to gain an enormous amount of power; that this power might come to be concentrated in the hands of very few; and that the federal government as a whole might end up overreaching its purview and meddling in affairs that ought rightly to be left to the states and the various local governments (if not individuals themselves).

Thus the constitution was framed in such a way that the power of the federal government would be split between 3 separate branches—each acting as a check-and-balance on the power of the others. And the power of the federal government as a whole was limited to certain specific areas—all other areas being left expressly to the power of the states and local governments (and individuals).

Over the past century, though, this original arrangement has largely been undone. Indeed, after numerous constitutional amendments—and loose interpretations of the constitutions itself—each of the branches of the federal government has, by turns, usurped (or been left with) more power than it was ever meant to have, and the federal government as a whole routinely involves itself in matters far from federal in nature—to the extent that it now insinuates itself into virtually every aspect of life, political, economic, and social.

For author and commentator Mark R. Levin it’s time we reversed this situation. For while those who made for the changes may have thought they were strengthening the nation, the fact is that the changes have contravened the very wise principles upon which the nation was built, and the practical results have been nothing but negative. Specifically, the changes have left the nation with nothing but ever-increasing taxes, ever-mounting debt, and ever-more soft tyranny for some with ever-reduced freedom for everyone else.

And the reform we need, according to the author, runs more than legislation-deep. It is reform that needs to happen at the very source: it is the constitution itself that must be reformed. For only radical constitutional reform can undo the radical and misguided reform that has come before.

Specifically, Levin proposes 11 constitutional amendments. They include: 1) term limits for members of congress; 2) election of Senators to be returned to state legislatures; 3) term limits for Supreme Court Justices (and the opportunity for federal and state legislatures to override Supreme Court decisions with a super-majority); 4) limits on federal spending (with an eye to curbing federal debt); 5) limits on taxation; 6) limits on how much power the executive branch can delegate to the federal bureaucracy; 7) limiting the federal government from interfering with economic activity that does not pertain to interstate or international trade; 8) requiring the federal government to compensate property owners for the devaluation of property caused by federal regulations; 9) allowing the states to amend the constitution directly (without having to go through Congress); 10) granting states the right to overturn the laws and regulations of Congress with a super-majority; 11) requiring voters to produce photo identification at election booths.

Of course, the federal government cannot be expected to make the proposed changes itself (since many of the amendments entail limiting this government’s power). Thankfully, though, it needn’t; for as the author points out, provisions exist under Article V of the constitution for it to be amended not just at the instigation of Congress, but at the instigation of a state-led convention—which is precisely what Levin is pushing for here.

Having great respect for the constitution (and its framers) myself, I am glad to see a book that reminds us of the values and principles that went into it, and that stands up for these values and principles. My issue with the book, though, is that Levin spends as much time and energy defending Republican Party policy issues (albeit covertly) as he does defending liberty as it was conceived under constitutional republicanism. The book would have made a much cleaner argument had the author stuck to his constitutional reform effort, without coloring it Republican red. Still, the main argument is strong and deserves our time and attention. A full executive summary of the book will be available at newbooksinbrief dot com, on or before Tuesday, September 24; a podcast discussion of the book will be available shortly thereafter.
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