B. Thomas Marking

Born and raised in the Dakota Territory, Mr. Marking attended THE CITADEL, The Military College of South Carolina, graduating in 1970, and then went on to graduate school at the University of Maryland, studying political philosophy and international relations.

His formal career spanned over three decades in federal and state government: seventeen years in various agencies of the Civil Service (GSA, Navy Dept., FEMA), eleven years in the Foreign Service and three years in South Dakota state government. In 2010, he ran as an independent candidate for the U. S. House of Representatives from SD. It was an educational experience.

In addition to his paid career, Mr. Marking has devoted a major portion of his life to volunteer service. He served as an officer in the USAF Auxiliary for thirty years, and then as an officer in the USCG Auxiliary for 6 years. He also served as an on-call FEMA Disaster Reservist for 11 years.

B. Thomas Marking has been a student of political philosophy since graduate school and has long been convinced that America can only arrest her decline by adopting a more democratic form of government. He believes that the technology exists to allow citizens to take a much stronger role in directing national policy. In essence, the Citizenry needs to become the fourth and highest branch of government. Only then, will America again claim moral leadership among the world of nations. His thought-provoking novel, Amendment XXIX, is the story of this evolution.