A common misconception I encounter in daily life and in the classes I teach is this: the Constitution is something that the government AND the citizenry are supposed to follow. It’s a law that universally applies to both public and private citizens. It exists to list out our rights and stop other citizens from violating …
The “sole organ” doctrine and the Curtiss-Wright (1936) case fundamentally altered and expanded the power of the executive and has since established an entirely new form of executive power as it relates to the Constitution and the other branches of government. You need to read further to learn more.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” Read further to learn about what this preamble actually means.
This is the first of a series of posts about what the Constitution says government is or is not supposed to do. If you want to keep your government accountable, read further!
“The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office …
The Constitution for Dummies: Article VI Clause 3 Read More »
The U.S. Constitution was written in 1787 and formally ratified in 1789, that’s around 230 years ago. The world and this country have changed dramatically since then. While there are many aspects to the American government and the U.S. citizenry that have changed, there is one constant:
We still need something to protect us and our private property from government.
For 231 years, that something has been the Constitution. Click to read more.
Every wondered what the “necessary and proper” clause actually means or why it’s so commonly used by politicians? Read this blog post to uncover the truth behind this overused and abused Constitutional phrase.
Today I’m going to step through and simply break down Article IV of the U.S. Constitution. For a little context, Article IV is directed primarily at states and what they are supposed to do, how the are supposed to do what they do and a few details about how the federal government should interact with the states and their governments. Click to read more.
It’s about time we start digging a bit deeper into the powers listed in Article 1, Section 8. I don’t necessarily mean digging into the case law and precedent of each enumerated power (which we can get to eventually) but rather digging into the thoughts and intentions of the framers when they wrote these enumerated …
The Constitution for Dummies: War Powers and the Militia Read More »
So many times, we look at our American government through our American eyes, never through the lens of history. For instance, it seems obvious to us that the people who represent us in Congress would be the ones to approve and direct the spending of government money rather than the President approving and directing the …
The Constitution for Dummies: The Appropriations Clause Read More »