With national debt mounting ever higher, state legislatures are pushing for revision of the Constitution of the United States.

Wisconsin is looking to join 28 other states in a bid to hold a constitutional convention and revise the Constitution. The support of 34 states is needed for this to happen.

The move is being made in an attempt to implement measures for alleviating the national debt. This is a necessary enterprise to undertake; the U.S. debt clock is at over $19 trillion and is growing every second.

The country clearly isn’t in a sustainable situation financially, and it is fair to say Congress has done little to nothing by way of trying to fix the problem. However, the call to make rewrites to the Constitution is nothing short of dangerous for the social and economic stability of the country.

The Wisconsin Legislature is pushing for the state to join others in calling for a convention to be held so a balanced budget amendment can be added to the U.S. Constitution. Including such an amendment would require the federal government to operate under a balanced budget, which sounds like an entirely reasonable standard to hold governments to, right?

It sounds like a logical plan, but in reality, adding a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution is not a stable economic course of action.

According to the Center of Budget Policies and Priorities, requiring a balanced budget every year would result in spending cuts, tax increases, or both, during weak economic periods. A vicious cycle of extended economic recession will turn and turn, driving the well-being of citizens into the ground.

From a social perspective, bringing change upon the Constitution is risky. Though representatives are saying the only change that would occur is the addition of the balanced budget amendment, there is nothing that would prevent other sections from being fiddled with. Amendments protecting fundamental rights would be threatened.

If a lawmaker is annoyed by protests held against them, maybe they’ll take the opportunity to scratch the piece of the Constitution affording the right to assembly, or maybe they’ll adjust the wording so separation of church and state is no longer a national value to uphold.

Another point to consider are the possible conflicts of interest that could arise while the constitution is open to edits. Lawmakers who have ties with big businesses may slither in and use the opening to push corporate agendas rather than the interests of their constituents.

Right now, the economic situation and social climate of the U.S. are too tenuous for it to be a good idea to open the Constitution up to change. More preliminary measures ought to be taken before leaping to rewriting the constitution.

The law of the land is often problematic, but in this case, making sure the progress and rights made so far are protected is essential. Other avenues of action can be taken to tackle the national debt, but for now, those actions need to steer clear of the constitution.

The Wisconsin legislature ought to consider long-term implications and risks before they join the ranks of those pushing for a constitutional convention.