The Founders recognized that human activities are highly independent. Nevertheless, they made the deliberate choice to decentralize power in the interests of better government and human liberty.
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…
When bypassing those lesser-known founders, we view the past through a distorted lens. Troy Kickler gives us a view of Hugh Williamson…
by Joe Wolverton II, for The New American “What a dreadful Spirit that Man possesses, who can put a private Appetite in balance against the universal Good of his Country, and of Mankind.” – Cato As tensions with England intensified in the years leading up to 1776, the United States became a “laboratory of proposals…
Will Republicans take another turn at the endless trough of centralization, or can they be stopped?
When the 39 delegates signed the Constitution on a hot summer’s day in Philadelphia, not one of them believed their work was over. It was not until the document’s ratification the following year that Benjamin Rush declared, “Tis done. We have become a nation.” Hungary, whose history predates America’s existence by a thousand years, is…
If forced to enter a duel with a Founder, James Madison would be an easy opponent—slender, diminutive, and painfully shy. But if you were to engage in any sort of intellectual debate with “little Jimmy,” you would indeed suffer a cerebral defeat. Today we celebrate Madison’s birthday, and though he is not with us, his…
On a variety of fronts—Medicaid mandates, individual health insurance mandates, national education standards—state governments are vigorously pushing back against an overweening federal establishment. This resistance to federal power includes a number of folks who are promoting a constitutional remedy that has never yet been employed in our nation’s history—a convention for considering constitutional amendments. As…
In what will surely be a publicity boon for Apple, especially among political scientists, Hungary’s new constitution is being written on an iPad. Thus far, this is one of the best known bits of information concerning Hungary’s current constitution drafting process. But lovers of liberty should take note of Hungary’s project not because it is…
The idea that there might be a simple fix to all our problems has seduced many thoughtful and well-intentioned men and women over the ages. If only we could do this, then all would be well. We stand with our persevering friends and allies. But let’s not be fooled. By the very nature of man…