Who Should Ratify the Peace?

Fortunately for national stability, the U.S. Constitution cannot be amended by a Gallup poll. But if it could be, possibly the most urgent constitutional issue now facing the U.S. would have been settled last week. The issue: the abolition of the famed “two-thirds rule” which kept the U.S. out of the League of Nations—the rule by which a Senate minority (one-third plus one of the members) can prevent ratification of a treaty. Gallup pollsters found 60% of citizens in favor of allowing treaties to be ratified by a simple majority of both House and Senate. Only 19% would preserve the Senate’s ancient prerogative.