Sometimes I feel like just throwing in the towel. I have to be honest: I didn't get into political activism because I thought it was a pathway to fame and riches. Anybody involved in this kind of work knows the rewards don't come in the form of a padded bank account, or even respect and..
Read moreConstitution 101: Necessary and Proper, Not Anything and Everything
Last week, we considered the first of several constitutional clauses often misinterpreted to expand federal power. We started with the “general welfare clause,” and established that it does not give the federal government the authority to do anything and everything that might promote the general welfare of the United States. This week we take up..
Read moreConstitution101: The General Welfare Clause
When challenged on the federal government’s constitutional authority to create welfare programs, meddle in education or run a national healthcare system, progressives will almost always appeal to the “general welfare clause.” Huffington Post columnist Paul Abrams demonstrated this line of thinking in a March 9, 2011, piece. Article 1, Section 8, Clause 1 grants the..
Read moreConstitution 101: Who Decides Constitutionality?
In previous Constitution 101 articles, I’ve shown that states were intended to serve as a check on federal power and that nullification creates a process to do so. I also pointed out that the federal government does indeed enjoy supremacy, but delegated powers limit that supremacy. All legitimate federal act must be “in pursuance” of..
Read moreWhat Brand Am I ?
What brand are you? Are you a libertarian? Are you a conservative? Are you a liberal? Are you an anarchist? Are you a minarchist? Are you a Democrat? Are you a Republican? Are you a constitutionalist? I get these questions a lot. In truth, I suppose it depends on whom gets to write the definitions...
Read moreGetting from Here to There: The Long Road to Freedom
From time to time, our work at the Tenth Amendment Center comes under attack from anarcho-capitalists. (Or if you prefer anarchists, voluntarists or simply libertarians.) These folks object to our emphasis on the Constitution because they argue that "the state" and its governments lack legitimacy. The argue that by its very nature, even a "limited"..
Read moreConstitution 101: Federal Supremacy
This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution..
Read moreConstitution 101: Nullification
So far in the Constitution 101 series, we've established that the Constitution created a limited federal government meant to exercise only specific, enumerated powers. All other authority remains with the states and the people. We also discussed the fact that the people stand as the sovereign in the system, and the Constitution was ratified by..
Read morePerhaps I Got It Right: A Nice Endorsement for ‘Our Last Hope’
When I set out to write the moral, historical and constitutional case for nullification, I knew I had a tough task ahead of me. After all, most Americans have never heard of nullification. And the constitutional and philosophical principles nullification rest on remain alien to even well-educated Americans. My goal in writing Our Last Hope:..
Read moreConstitution 101: Was the Constitution Ratified By States or One American People?
This is the third article in a series on basic constitutional principles. Was the Constitution ratified by the American people as “one nation” or was it ratified by the states? As pointed out in last week’s Constitution 101 post, the people stand as the sovereign in the system. So it was the people who ratified..
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