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By Ross Moyo
The Zimbabwe Institute of Diplomacy (ZID), in partnership with the U.S. Embassy Public Diplomacy Section, hosted a Constitution Day Special Lecture examining why the United States Constitution has endured for 250 years with only 27 amendments — a stark contrast to Zimbabwe’s more fluid constitutional landscape. The central question, posed during TechnoMag’s live interview segment, was whether America’s longevity stems from the constitutional text itself or from the political culture surrounding it.
Dr. Jeremy Berkowitz, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Prairie View A&M University, argued that the true number of substantive amendments is closer to 17.
“The first 10, the Bill of Rights, are passed alongside the Constitution… it would be like a day‑one patch rather than what the other amendments are,” he told the audience.
A High Bar for Change
Responding to TechnoMag’s question — What has allowed the U.S. Constitution to survive 250 years with only 27 amendments? — Berkowitz emphasized that the amendment process is intentionally difficult.
He noted that any constitutional change requires approval from a supermajority of states representing roughly 75% of the U.S. population, a threshold designed by the framers to prevent political manipulation.
“That has been a very big obstacle for changes to our system,” he said, adding that the high bar prevents ruling parties from easily altering voting rules for partisan gain.
Separation of Powers vs. Judicial Review
TechnoMag also asked which institutional feature has mattered more for American stability: judicial review or separation of powers.
Although Berkowitz did not directly answer within the time available, his lecture leaned heavily toward the framers’ design of divided authority — especially in foreign policy.
He explained that the U.S. Constitution splits external decision‑making between a nationally elected President and a regionally elected Congress, a structure intended to prevent tyranny and ensure broad consensus on matters of war, diplomacy, and national interest.
Mirroring the Zimbabwean Context
When asked by TechnoMag’s Ross Moyo how the U.S. manages tensions between a strong presidency and constitutional limits — particularly during crises — Berkowitz said the American system’s resilience lies in its structural safeguards.
“It prevents a ruling party from easily changing voting rules to benefit itself,” he noted, drawing a contrast with contexts where constitutional amendments can be pursued more rapidly.
A Constitution Built for Longevity
The lecture, part of the ZID Sovereign Statecraft Series, underscored that America’s constitutional endurance is not accidental.
It is the product of a deliberately rigid amendment process, a culture of institutional respect, and a separation‑of‑powers framework designed to slow down political impulses.
As the United States marks Freedom 250, Berkowitz’s insights offered Zimbabwean practitioners a comparative lens on how constitutional design shapes political stability — and why some constitutions evolve rapidly while others remain remarkably unchanged.
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