Mr. Davidson's organization was spearheading the effort--which at that time

needed to sign on only six more states--to call a convention under the provisions of Article V of the Constitution, for the purpose of considering a balanced-budget

amendment. Today's discussion explores in depth the case for such an mendment--as Mr. Davidson puts it, to rescue congressmen from the "prisoner's dilemma" of having the benefits of deficit spending obvious while the costs are hidden--and the cases against (a) the amendment itself (first, according to Professor Tribe, that it is unnecessary: "It's clear that there are political payoffs, and important ones, from contributing to the ideal of fiscal austerity") and (b) the convention method (that it should be used only when "there is a clear showing that representative democracy has broken down").