So, as I was teaching class today, I realized something. I love to look at the definitions of words, especially in the context of government and law. Words and their meanings are really fundamental to understanding government institutions, particularly American government institutions since our founders were so careful with their words and names. (For instance, …
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 …
I’ve decided to write on the 19th Amendment today because I want to clarify something about the Constitution and how it works. When you hear the 19th Amendment, what do you think of? Most of you, if you know what it means, will think something like this: “Oh, that’s the amendment that gave women the …
The Constitution for Dummies: The 19th Amendment 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.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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!