Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

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Ep. 125 - Article 1 - The Legislative Branch Jul 15, 2022

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This is worth pondering. We know the very first article in the U.S. Constitution creates Congress and gives it power at the same time. For lawmaking authority to be delegated to Congress, that means that power already existed but wasn't delegated, right? Where did that power reside? The answer to that question is found in the first 3 words in the Preamble, "We The People." If the legislative branch writes law, the executive branch enforces law and the judiciary adjudicates and interprets law, the next logical question must be what are laws? How are they enforced through a system of punishments and rewards? We know this is a lot of questions to ask all at once. But these questions and so many more are discussed in this week's chat with our special guest, Dr. Adam Carrington with Hillsdale College, and our student panel with new student panelist, Halley Moak!

Ep. 124 - Constitutional Convention & the Preamble Jul 08, 2022

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Fifty-five men arguing over 88 days. That's what it took at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 to draft a preamble and the seven articles that make up our Constitution. With the Articles of Confederation as a starting point, what were the challenges facing the delegates? How were compromises reached balancing state vs. federal power? What structural changes to the Articles of Confederation were made? All of these questions and many many more are answered in this exciting chat with our student panel, Janine Turner and Professor Gordon Lloyd of Pepperdine University.

Ep. 122 - Our Special Flag Day Episode with "Betsy Ross" Herself! Jun 30, 2022

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It has 13 stars on a blue background and 13 stripes of alternating red and white. Our country's first flag was a rallying symbol during the American Revolution. But what do you know about the woman who made the flag, Betsy Ross? A devout Quaker, she was a young widow when her late husband's uncle, Declaration of Independence signer George Ross, tasked her with making the flag. On National Flag Day, Constituting America proudly presents a conversation with Betsy Ross, skillfully played by Kim Hanley with the American Historical Theater. Join our panel for this one-of-a-kind living history discussion!

Ep. 123 - What Is the Semiquincentennial? Our Independence Day Episode! Jun 30, 2022

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In four years we will celebrate the biggest birthday our country has ever seen. In fact, planning for this birthday celebration began in 2016! That year, President Obama signed into law H.R. 4875, legislation which formally created the United States Semiquincentennial Commission to plan the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Constituting America co-founder Cathy Gillespie is proud to be 1 of the 16 private citizen members of the commission! Join our student panel as we welcome Joe Daniels, President and CEO of the America 250 Foundation for this discussion on how we will celebrate our country's milestone birthday in four years!

Ep. 121 — How Republics Elect Heads of Government Jun 10, 2022

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During election cycles Americans often debate the value of the Electoral College. Not every citizen understands why the Founders created it, how it works today, and why it is so important to the stability of our Nation. Mr. Maibach traces its origin to the Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787. The Electoral College was a compromise between the 9 small states and the 4 most populous states when they met in Philadelphia. The Electoral College is designed so that citizens of each state vote for their choice for President, and the aggregation of the Electoral votes of all the states decides the winner. Join our student panel and our special guest, Michael Maibach of Save our States, for a discussion about this unique American electoral process, and how it compares to how other republics around the world select their heads of government. These stories will engage and may surprise the viewer.

Ep. 120 — Avoiding the Pitfalls of Partisanship Jun 02, 2022

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Madison defined it in Federalist No. 10. George Washington cautioned against it in his Farewell Address. What we call partisanship today, the Founders called faction. And they were concerned with its prevalence in politics. In their desire to create a government that featured reason over passion, the Founders were acutely aware of the negative effects faction brings. What can we do about it? Join our panel and guest William Morrisey, Professor Emeritus at Hillsdale College, for this discussion in partisanship and faction.

Ep. 119 — Avoiding the Pitfalls of Anarchy May 26, 2022

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Imagine this. You are designing a new country and have a coin in your hand to flip. One side is anarchy and the other is tyranny. What do you do? You flip the coin and try to get it to land on its side. This is what our Founders were aiming for when creating our country. We are happy to have Professor Gordon Lloyd of Pepperdine University with our student panel as we discuss everything from the whigs and worries, bi-annual vs annual elections, how order falls into tyranny and liberty falls into anarchy, Socrates, the Athenian assembly, and virtue. Join us as we unpack a lot in this insightful discussion!

Ep. 118 — Avoiding the Pitfalls of Utopian Thought May 19, 2022

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Have you ever thought about our Constitution as a practical exercise in governance rather than an academic exercise? What that means is the Constitution addresses real problems accounting for human nature rather than viewing men through a utopian lens as virtuous "angels." In Federalist 51, Madison tells us "if men were angels, no government would be necessary." Join our panel and Professor Joerg Knipprath as we explore how the Founders were realists who dealt with real people and real problems.

Thank you to this week's sponsor: Bob DeMartino of History Salvaged

Ep. 117 — Avoiding the Pitfalls of the Roman Republic May 13, 2022

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The Roman Empire, at its peak, spread from the Persian Gulf to England and encompassed all of the land adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea. How could an empire so large and powerful ultimately fall? What lessons from the Empire's fall did our Framers recognize to influence the structure of our own country? According to our guest, Professor Joerg Knipprath of Southwestern Law School, one of the reasons for Rome's fall was that it simply got too big to govern itself. For a deeper explanation, join Professor Knipprath and our panel as he dives into the governmental structures of the Roman Empire.

Ep. 116 — Avoiding the Pitfalls of Dictators May 05, 2022

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How did two 17th century European philosophers shape the various systems of government we see worldwide? Thomas Hobbes believed stability relied on a "Leviathan" government, an all powerful state to maintain order. John Locke wrote about unalienable rights and the role of government in protecting those rights. Authoritative countries like Russia, China and North Korea follow the "Leviathan" model while democracies and republics follow Locke. While the United States is not the world's first republic, our Founders studied the Greeks, the Romans and Italian city-states like Venice to avoid the failures that brought down past republics and democracies. Join our student panel and guest expert, Dr. Joseph Loconte with the Heritage Foundation, for this informative dive into dictators, authoritarian regimes and the role "freedom of conscience" plays in resisting both systems.

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