The idea of “American exceptionalism” has become a litmus test for patriotism in the last year or so. Politicians from both parties have realized that it resonates with American citizens and have hastened to add it to their list of buzz words. However, it is used often without explanation, which allows people to share it while intending vastly different meanings. Begrudgingly, liberals will admit that America is “exceptional”—but only in the way that every country is special. In his maiden speech on the Senate floor yesterday, Senator Marco Rubio (R–FL) …
On June 7, 1776, Richard Henry Lee, a delegate from Virginia, stood in front of the Second Continental Congress and committed treason by proposing a resolution to declare that “these United States are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.” John Adams, the most vocal proponent of independence, seconded the motion. In doing so, these men …
On this day in 1787, the Second Constitutional Convention embarked on a four month-long process that resulted in the masterful document responsible for shaping our country. Though battered and bruised today, the Constitution of the United States remains the framework for our nation’s government. On May 25, 1787, however, the Founders had no assurances of such success. The current form of government – the Articles of Confederation – was fundamentally flawed, and it seemed possible that the young nation would fail before it really began. The state legislatures were unable …
“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” It may be a bit dramatic to quote the opening of George Orwell’s classic 1984, but there is something quite Orwellian about the effects of H.R.946 – a piece of legislation that passed last year without much division, and that is now back in the headlines. This law, named the Plain Writing Act, aims to simplify the language used by federal agencies when speaking to American citizens, with the guidance of a new organization: the Plain …
The valor of the Navy SEALs has received much attention in the last few days – as it should. Today, on the anniversary of the first awarded Purple Hearts, we remember not only those who now serve, but all those who have already set this example of tenacity and bravery. The Purple Heart was instituted by General Washington during the American Revolution, and was originally called the Badge of Military Merit. The Badge was awarded to honor those who displayed “unusual gallantry” or “extraordinary fidelity and essential service” to the …
Today we celebrate Whittaker Chambers’ birthday. This quiet, unassuming man has become a giant in the conservative movement for his condemning testimony against Communism, and his autobiography, Witness, remains one of the masterpieces of American writing. Even the pumpkin patch on the Chambers’ farm, where he famously gathered evidence of Communist spies in the United States government, has become a pilgrimage point. His significant role in exposing Communism, then, is undisputed. But what is his relevance to the American situation today? As Richard Reinsch illustrates in the latest First Principles …
Last month, Arizona lawmakers introduced legislation intended to invite legal review of the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Other states are quickly following suit. Why, after one hundred and fifty years of implementation, is this amendment so controversial? Amendment XIV, Section 1 clearly states that “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” So doesn’t that mean that all children born in the United States (even to parents who …
Under the Progressive notion of a “living” Constitution, almost every aspect of the Constitution has been subject to reinterpretation. One section that would seem to defy a new interpretation, however, is Article I, Section 7, Clause 2 – or the “Presentment Clause” – which clearly outlines the process by which a bill becomes a law. As Michael Rappaport explains in the latest Constitutional Guidance for Lawmakers essay, “The Presentment Clause ultimately drafted by the Convention was one of the most formal provisions in the Constitution. The Framers apparently feared that …
This section is commonly referred to as the Appropriations Clause stipulates that “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time,” and effectively grants the legislative branch the influential “power of the purse.” Today, however, public opinion agrees that Congress has clearly abused this privilege. Congress’s decades-long spending spree is on everyone’s mind these days. Most (successful) Republicans ran on a …
There seems to be a fairly significant downside to a “living” Constitution: you can’t keep it from growing uncontrollably! In the latest Constitutional Guidance for Lawmakers essay, David Forte outlines the staggering expansion in the reach of the Commerce Clause under the Progressives, from “The trafficking and trading of economic commodities” to “Any human activity or other phenomenon that has any ultimate impact on activities in more states than one.” Under the latter interpretation, the Commerce Clause has been invoked to validate most of the vast regulatory expansion of the …
