Gelman Constitutional Scholars Program

Essays should address the following central question: Is the United States Constitution manipulable, subject to reinterpretation based on modern concepts, or is it meant to be essentially immutable, defining a permanent relationship between government and citizens?

In answering this question, essayists should consider the following:

• Are the principles upon which the Constitution is based valid today?
• Are there basic eternal principles enshrined in the Constitution that should not be violated?
• What would the framers of the Constitution say about our present Constitution?
• Is it permissible to change the Constitution?
• Under what conditions, if any, would such changes be acceptable?
• Are federal regulatory bodies such as the EPA and the EEOC, and federally mandated programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, truly Constitutional?
• Why or why not?

For current Gelman Constitutional Scholars program opportunities, please visit utpa.edu/constitution