Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

Free speech was so important to our Founders they wrote it into the First Amendment to the Constitution.   Over the last decade, we have seen an erosion of free speech support through cancel culture, suppression on college campuses and "fact checkers" on social media platforms.   Did we finally reach a tipping point and are beginning to rally once again around the idea of free speech?   Just this...

It's 1787.   Under the current Articles of Confederation the American experiment is struggling.   James Madison knew a new guiding document was needed.   Once opposed to a Bill of Rights, it was Madison who would ultimately introduce the Bill of Rights in 1789.   Why was Madison originally opposed to a Bill of Rights?   What documents influenced him?   Why were the Bill of Rights necessary and wha...

Why does Constituting America do the work we do in educating young people about the U.S. Constitution and our country's founding principles?   Think about this.   According to our guest, in a spectral analysis of the Declaration of Independence, in Thomas Jefferson's original draft, he wrote "our fellow subjects."   In the draft we all know, he used "our fellow citizens."   The difference in that...

For our annual online academic study this year, we are taking a journey through our republic with Alexis de Tocqueville's "Democracy in America." It is perhaps the best book ever written about America and democracy, according to our guest today.   In this work, De Toqueville takes on an almost prophetic voice in predicting the future of   our country and our constitutional republic. How was De Toc...

The 1st Amendment recognizes our God-given right to free speech without government restriction.   But what is a college student to do when it's their own college suppressing their free speech?   What is that student to do when that suppression directly leads to hate speech and violent threats from their fellow students simply for having a differing opinion?   Our guest was such a student.   We are...

Picture this:   You are a young child growing up in a suburb of Boston.   You happen to a big fan of the musical "Hamilton" and through an educational TV show, you learn that the park where you regularly ride your bike and your neighborhood is portrayed in the musical you love!   This is exactly what happened with this week's special guest, Sabrina Bhattacharjya.   Now a 14-year old historian, Sab...

The electoral college is one of the most important characteristics of our republic, but it is also perhaps the most misunderstood.   Every time we vote for President the merit of the electoral college is debated. But what is it? Why was it created?   How does it protect small states, and preserve state identity?   Should we view it as a problem itself or an effective solution to a problem? To addr...

It's 1787 and you are a delegate to the Constitutional Convention.   You represent a midsize state and arriving 3 days late, you encounter James Madison's Virginia Plan to allocate representation among the states proportionally.   You realize how this would be a detriment to smaller states who are needed to ratify the Constitution.   What do you do?   You are Roger Sherman from Connecticut and you...

He was an actor, governor and our 40th president.   Today, we are discussing the presidency of Ronald Reagan.   Though now a modern icon of conservatives, Reagan's political leanings were originally democrat as a supporter of FDR and Truman.   During his presidential term, through what lens did Reagan approach the limitations placed on government?   In what way was he a Constitutional originalist?...

Today, we are discussing our country's 34th President, Dwight Eisenhower.   A Texan by birth but raised in Kansas, Eisenhower graduated from West Point and during World War II served as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe and was promoted to 5-star General of the US Army. Twice elected President, Eisenhower notably led our country as we entered the Cold War. In what w...

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt served as the 32nd US President and was our longest serving president, having run for and won four elections to the presidency.   FDR was President during two tumultuous events in US history, the Great Depression and the outbreak of World War II.   Pulling a page from the Woodrow Wilson playbook, FDR expanded the administrative state even further.   In what ways...

In our chat today, we are focusing on our 31st President, Herbert Hoover.   Born poor to a Quaker family in Iowa in 1874, Hoover was one of the first graduates of Stanford University in 1895.   He earned a fortune as a mining engineer and had business interests on 6 of 7 continents.   He rose to public prominence during World War I and joined the Woodrow Wilson administration as the leader of the...

The administrative state, the professional bureaucracy in our federal government, has not always been such a feature in how government functions.   Did you know President Woodrow Wilson helped   precipitate the rapid rise in that bureaucracy? How did this happen and why? What did Wilson mean when he spoke of an elastic constitution, and how does it threaten our freedom? To walk our student panel  ...

In 1831, a 26 year-old French member of the aristocracy arrived in New York City to examine our prison system.   Alexis de Tocqueville would do that and so much more.   Over 9 months, he and his travel companion, Gustave de Beaumont, traveled extensively and in 1835, he published "Democracy in America."   De Tocqueville studied and answered what it took to perpetuate our political institutions, wh...

Perhaps no Founding Father exemplifies the ideal of a citizen-legislator quite like John Adams.   Never a wealthy man, Adams dedicated his life and contributed greatly to our country in its infancy: as a lawyer, as a delegate to the Continental Congress, as our first Vice President and as our second President.   What was the basis for Adam's beliefs in how our country should be structured and why...

He was a city mayor, state representative and state senator.   He was a lieutenant governor and governor.   And he was a vice president and president.   Today, we are discussing the accomplishments of Calvin Coolidge.   He was an ardent defender of the US Constitution and fought the trend to alter and reinterpret the provisions in the Constitution.   He was also a dedicated "Toquevillian." To guid...

He was a solider, general, President and statesman.   George Washington is one of those few historical figures whose real-life accomplishments live up to the legend of the man. But what was Washington's role in crafting the document that ultimately made him President?   What were his thoughts on the role of a federal government in our new country?   To help us understand Washington's mindset durin...

During the summer before every presidential election, both major political parties host their conventions.   Part of their function is to formally nominate their candidate for President.   Just who are the thousands of delegates who attend? What are their duties?   How are they chosen?   To help us understand everything related to these conventions and delegates, we are excited to welcome back ele...

Back in April, we discussed the Chevron Doctrine and the power it gave to unelected officials in various agencies.   This doctrine allowed agencies to rely on their own interpretation of ambiguous law.   In the recent Loper Bright decision, the Supreme Court struck down this doctrine.   To help our student panel understand the long term ramifications of this decision, we are delighted to welcome b...

Back in May, we discussed a Supreme Court case that was about to be decided regarding actions local governments had taken regarding homelessness encampments in public spaces, in their cities.   Late last month, the Supreme Court sided 6-3 with the city of Grants Pass, Oregon, ruling their laws did not violate the 8th amendment prohibitions against cruel and unusual punishment.   Returning from tha...

As with most Supreme Court decisions, the recent Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity is both complex and misunderstood. The Court had to rule on what level of immunity the President has in regard to his official duties as President. This case involves a complex series of rulings from various courts but we are thankful to have returning as our guest, former US Attorney and retired Navy...

As with most Supreme Court decisions, the recent Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity is both complex and misunderstood. The Court had to rule on what level of immunity the President has in regard to his official duties as President. This case involves a complex series of rulings from various courts but we are thankful to have returning as our guest, former US Attorney and retired Navy...

This week we celebrate the spirit of the American people! A country's identity is directly tied to its people.   A good way to gauge the characteristics and spirit of a country's people is to look at the country from an outsider's perspective.   That's exactly what Alexis de Tocqueville did when he came to America in 1831.   The French-born aristocrat traveled extensively around our country and in...

When you hear the term "the American Dream" what do you think of first?   Homeownership?   Going to college?   Having a great job?   Safe communities?   All are correct answers.   What is amazing about that dream is that it can be unique to each of us, yet is something we all collectively enjoy in this country. Think about this.   Our Constitution does not specifically mention the American Dream,...

Our country is one of unimaginable beauty.   From snow-capped mountain peaks to arid deserts to peaceful beaches, our varied landscapes have spoken to our soul as a nation for generations.   Our country currently preserves 63 sites with the "national park" designation, with a total of 429 sites in the system.   To help us better understand the history and significance of these locales, we are deli...