In all of the back and forth over what should or shouldn’t be discussed in reforming California’s system of government, many ideas have been put forward.  One suggestion that has stuck with me — why not set up a Constitution wiki?

The idea seems straightforward, although I think the execution would be rather complex.  Create a wiki with the current state constitution — and perhaps the constitutions of other states — as reference points.  Then, just dive in and start writing.  With several (dozens? hundreds? thousands?) exploring ideas, we might come to a consensus.  However, I would like to suggest that we consider a wiki that offers multiple options, based on the choices people make.

For example, do we stick with the traditional American system or go for a more parliamentary system?  Making that choice means very different outcomes in writing the articles for the executive and legislative branches, and both should be explored.  Should we keep a bicameral legislature, or switch to a unicam?  Should we keep single-member, plurality districts, or move to proportional representation?  Each of these questions would need exploring, with the goal of crafting a complete, coherent Constitution no matter which choices are made along the design path.  In the end, instead of one option, we might have 20, but each version having been reviewed for internal consistency.

So, what do you people think?  Would this be a project worth trying?