Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

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Ep. 176 - America's Principle of National Sovereignty Aug 11, 2023

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American sovereignty is such a fundamental ideal in the American experiment that it's mentioned in both the opening and closing of the Declaration of Independence. Succinctly, sovereignty is the power to do something and shapes our ability as a people through our elected representatives to make decisions that are best for us. Why were the Founders so concerned with sovereignty? Why was it so necessary not just to win it but maintain it? We are pleased to have our student panel joined by returning guest Christopher C. Burkett, Director of the Ashbrook Scholar Program and Associate Professor of Political Science at Ashland University, to shed light on this vital concept.

Ep. 175 - America's Principle of Constitutional Restraint Aug 03, 2023

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The Declaration of Independence so eloquently laid out "charges" against the Crown - detailing why independence was necessary. The test of the Constitution is whether or not it serves the goals and aims of the Declaration of Independence. In the Constitution, the Founders had to strike the proper balance of liberty and order as our new nation was leaving an oppressive government behind while at the same time providing stability for its citizens. In order to accomplish this lofty objective, our Founders needed to empower government but at the same time restrain it. Nearly 250 years into the American experiment, we are still working to create our "more perfect union." Join our guest Constitutional expert Professor Paul Carrese, founding director of the School of Civic & Economic Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University, and our all-star student panel as we explore how we empower and restrain our government through checks and balances, separation of powers and federalism.

Ep. 174 - America's Principle of Knowing Classical History Jul 28, 2023

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What can history teach us? Well…everything! Our Founding generation understood history and studied it when creating the framework for our country. From ancient city-states to the fall of empires, our Founders looked at what did and did not work in past governments. One can argue our current government, this great experiment in self-governing is an amalgamation of previous forms, choosing the best traits but leaving out the worst. Joining our all-star panel, we are pleased to have returning Joe Loconte, Senior Fellow at the Institute on Religion and Democracy and Senior Fellow at King's College in New York, for this insightful and "historic" discussion.

Ep. 173 - America's Principle of Providence Jul 24, 2023

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Americans love a good origin story. This love carries into the origin story of our country. Today, we are discussing the role of Providence and faith in the origin story of the United States. What role did religion have on our founders and how is that root belief carried on today? To help us unpack this topic, we are delighted to welcome Nathanael Blake, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, and our all-star student panel for this "origin story" discussion.

Ep. 172 - America's Principle of Self Governing Jul 14, 2023

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What is popular government? What do we mean when we say we are self-governing? In his 1863 Gettysburg Address, President Lincoln summarized it rather clearly: "…that government of the people, by the people, for the people…". According to our guest, in those few word Lincoln answered who creates our government, who administers our government and for what purpose. Join our guest expert, Adam Carrington with Hillsdale College, and our all-star student panel for this informative discussion on popular government.

Ep. 171 - First Principles of the American Founding: The Declaration of Independence and Natural Law Jun 29, 2023

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In drafting the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson put a specific emphasis on natural law and weaved that theme throughout the entire document. While the Declaration of Independence did not create the new United States government. it severed ties with our previous government so a new one could be formed, and set out important principles upon which our new government would be based. What exactly is natural law, of which Jefferson so eloquently wrote? How do we "know" these "self-evident" truths? From what further historical inspiration did Jefferson derive the Declaration Independence? To help us unravel the philosophical foundation of this groundbreaking document, we are pleased to have Tony Williams, author and Senior Teaching Fellow at the Bill of Rights Institute, returning to join our student panel as we begin a new series on the timeless principles of the American founding.

Ep. 170 The Communist Dictatorship of Cuba Jun 28, 2023

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It's only about 100 miles from the southern tip of Florida, yet couldn't be more different than its American neighbor. Cuba is yet another example of a revolution that promised change but then turned on its people to usher in a communist dictatorship. While Cuba has a constitution that enshrines rights, those rights are seldom recognized by the government. Article 56 of their constitution guarantees a right to assemble, demonstrate and associate but government dissidents are often jailed, tortured or disappear. Join our guest expert John Barsa, executive director of the Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba and the former acting administrator for USAID, and our all-star student panel for further insight into our neighboring country.

Ep. 169 The Communist Party of China vs. Our U.S. Constitution Jun 16, 2023

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Oppressive states and regimes run by a dictator have something in common; an iron grip on every aspect of their citizens' lives. Basic freedoms-like speech, assembly, religion-don't exist in these countries. As westerners, we read about these oppressions. But every now and then, we are able to hear a first-hand account of what happens inside these secretive governments. We are honored that today is one such day. Our guest is Chen Guangcheng. An activist and lawyer, Chen was beaten, jailed and placed under house arrest by the Chinese government. In April 2012, Chen escaped house arrest and was given refuge in the US embassy in Beijing. In May 2012, Chen and his family were granted US visas and they came to the United States. We are beyond excited to have Chen as our special guest, joining our all-star student panel, for this insightful and first-hand account into life inside the People's Republic of China.

Ep. 168 The Authoritarian Regime of Venezuela vs. Our U.S. Constitution Jun 08, 2023

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It was once the richest country in South America with the largest proven fossil-fuel reserves in the world, according to the World Economic Forum. In just 24 years, this country now sees over half its population living in poverty. In today's chat, we are of course talking about Venezuela. Venezuela, which became socialist through a democratic election in 1999 when Hugo Chavez came to power, serves as a cautionary tale. For a deeper dive into what went wrong in Venezuela, we are pleased to have Daniel DivMartino as our returning guest along with our all-star student panel. Daniel is a native Venezuelan and graduate fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Join us for this fascinating discussion!

Ep. 167 The Dictatorship of Russia vs. Our U.S. Constitution Jun 02, 2023

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It's only existed for 31 years. It covers roughly 1/8 of all inhabitable landmass on earth with a population of 143 million. It has a constitution and a parliament but for 23 years, it has been ruled by one individual. Today, we are discussing the dictatorship of the Russian Federation and its ruler, Vladimir Putin. How did Putin come to power and consolidate his iron grip over his country following the dissolving of the Soviet Union in the 1990s? What strides towards democratization was the Soviet Union making? What is the status of basic civil liberties like freedom of speech, freedom to dissent and freedom to protest? For all of these answer and many more, join our all-star student panel and our special guest, Mark Kramer, Director of the Cold War Studies Project at the Davis Center at Harvard University, as we unpack the Russian Federation.

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