"Me the People" - more than a joke book

(CBS News) Where do fledgling democracies look to for inspiration when writing their constitution?

If you guessed the U.S., you'd be wrong, according to "The Daily Show" writer Kevin Blyer.

"We're getting skunked by Canada's constitution," he said Tuesday on "CBS This Morning."

Blyer is the author of the new book, "Me the People: One Man's Selfless Quest to Rewrite the Constitution of the United States of America."

"20 years ago, 170 countries existed," Blyer said. "Of those, 160 countries used the United States Constitution as a model, in some part."

But how many use it now?

"Somewhere between zero and zero," Blyer said. "They're shopping around. They like Canada."

The Emmy Award-winning writer traveled to the birthplaces of democracy - Greece and Philadelphia - to research "Me the People," and stressed that it's not all jokes. There are some real facts in the book.

And Blyer is not the only great American who felt the Constitution was long overdue for a rewrite.

"Thomas Jefferson actually suggested that every constitution naturally expires after every 19 years," he said. "So, by his own math, I'm 200 years overdue."

To watch the full interview, click on the video above.