Section 3

A. Specific and Implied Powers

The Citizens delegate specific Powers to Government institutions through this Charter. No institution may exercise authority that is not explicitly or implicitly granted.

No agency or official may use implied powers to create programs or practices that are likely to suppress, discourage, or chill the free exercise of any Right listed in this Charter.

B. Citizen Referenda and Review

B.1. Periodic Review

Beginning in 2040, and every twenty years thereafter, a national referendum must be held to determine whether the People reaffirm the delegation of their Sovereign Power to the government under this Charter. The referendum shall occur during the regularly scheduled federal election of that year.

The ballot shall present the following question:

“Do you wish to continue delegating your Sovereign Power to the government as outlined in the National Charter?”

Voters shall respond either “Yes” or “No.” If “No” receives three-fifths or more of the votes cast, Consent shall be deemed In Question.

Congress must convene a Demi-Congress no later than January 31 of the odd-numbered year immediately following the referendum. The Demi-Congress shall be composed of one Citizen selected at random from each State and Territory. This panel shall be vested with the authority to investigate the causes of public dissatisfaction with the Charter and recommend potential remedies, including reforms, amendments, or structural changes.

The Demi-Congress must complete its investigation and submit a public report, including findings and any recommendations, by December 31 of the same odd-numbered year.

The Vice President of the United States shall preside over the Demi-Congress. In this role, the Vice President shall serve solely as a neutral arbiter of parliamentary procedure and may not participate in deliberation or influence outcomes.

The Demi-Congress must be fully funded by Congress and shall have the power to commission public opinion research, conduct hearings, request testimony, and consult expert advisors as it deems necessary.

If recommendations are made, a period of public education shall begin on January 1 of the next even-numbered year. All such recommendations must be submitted to a binding national referendum held during the next regularly scheduled federal election in that year. The result of that referendum shall close the Question until the next scheduled review.

The results of any referenda conducted under this Section shall be binding. The outcome of the vote shall close the Question until the next scheduled twenty-year review or until the People initiate a new review through lawful procedures.

Nothing in this Section limits the People’s Right to initiate Charter revision or replacement through the procedures defined in Article VI, Section 5.

No branch or official of government may obstruct, delay, interfere with, or refuse to administer the referendum or processes described in this Section. Any such act constitutes a breach of this Charter and may be challenged by any Citizen, including under Civic Standing as defined in Article IV.

B.2. Challenged Review

Any government statute, executive order, agency rule, or court ruling—by Congress, the Executive, the Judiciary, or a federal agency—that directly affects the Rights of Persons or the Powers of the States may be challenged by a Citizen Review Petition.

If at least one percent (1%) of eligbile voters sign the petition within one hundred eighty (180) days of the action taking effect, and the petition is submitted to the Speaker of the House, the action shall be suspended if injunctive relief is requested and necessary to prevent immediate or irreversible harm. Otherwise, the action may proceed but must be reversed if rejected by the People in the ensuing referendum.

The challenged action must be publicly defended by the originating authority, which must provide a formal written justification in clear and accessible language explaining the measure and its effects. The written justification must be easily accessed by all Citizens and must be made available at least ninety (90) days before the next national election, failing which, the referendum shall be deferred to the next scheduled national election.

The referendum shall be binding. If three-fifths (⅗) of Citizens voting reject the action, it must be reversed in full within ninety (90) days unless reversal is impossible, in which case a public remedy must be enacted by law.

B.3. Retained Sovereignty

The Citizens retain the Civic Right to revoke, reform, or reassign the delegation of specific Powers through the Constitutional means defined in this Charter. Nothing in this Charter shall be construed to deny the inherent Sovereign Right of the People to act when no legal remedy remains and the constitutional order has failed in its duty to protect the Rights of the People. This clause does not abrogate the rule of law, but affirms that lawful government endures only through the continuing consent and authority of the People. However, to be legitimate, the Citizens, in the exercise of their Sovereignty, must establish Consent by recording the decisive will of the People.