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The establishment of a central government by the Constitution prevented the re-colonization of America by England, France, or other European powers. Both the English and the French seriously considered intervening on the side of the Confederacy to bolster the former's long standing claim to Canada and the latter's newly acquired Mexican acquisition. The Confederates, however, never won the decisive victory they needed to justify foreign intervention, as the Continental Army did by winning at the Battle of Saratoga. The Constitution also established a common market among the states, not unlike the one Western Europe established in the 1960s and 70s, and a common currency, as Europe did in the 1990s. These things were accomplished, initially without the level of regulations the EU imposed on its members.

However, despite the benefits conferred by the Constitution, the Federal government has morphed into a tyrannical central government dominated by an oligarchy. But for the election of Trump, we could have counted upon a new Clinton Administration inhibiting free speech through controlling the Internet and social media, plus reinstitution of the Fairness Act to shut down talk radio. Hate speech laws would have been used to inhibit politically incorrect speech, as is done in Canada, Britain, and Germany, and a reincarnated Warren Court would have supported these restrictions. Religious freedom would have been inhibited as well, as what was attempted in Houston, with the local authorities wanting to pre-screen sermons, would likely have been attempted on a national basis. We are very lucky, or more correctly, have received an undeserved benefit from Providence.

The Constitution has been a dead letter from the standpoint of limiting Federal authority since the days of the New Deal 80 years ago, when FDR and the Congress massively expanded Federal authority over commerce and industry. It has been a dead letter from the standpoint of war powers, as we have fought four to five wars (depending on whether you separate all Iraq and Afghanistan wars or not) without a declaration of war. We won none of these wars due to stupidity, treason, or indecisiveness.

The Constitution has not worked as an effective governing instrument for over 80 years, perhaps longer, though I see FDR as the real turning point. Perhaps we should look at bringing back the Articles of Confederation, or some looser foundational document.

But for the election of Trump...

Aye, there's the rub of your argument, you just made it against yourself. We have a document that works when the people are educated and care about responsible government.

A Convention Of States won't fix stupid, no matter how much you'd like to believe it would.

“The Constitution has been a dead letter from the standpoint of limiting Federal authority since the days of the New Deal 80 years ago,”

You’re a few years late. Any restraints on federal power were lost around 1865.