Explore Freedom

Bush to Chavez: Just Ignore Your Constitution

by Jacob G. Hornberger January 22, 2003

President Bush’s recent advice to embattled Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez reflects Bush’s cavalier attitude toward constitutional restraints. In the midst of all the political turmoil in Venezuela, Bush, who apparently despises Chavez, aligned himself with his political opponents and called for early presidential elections, with the aim ... [click for more]

Postconstitutional America

by Sheldon Richman January 5, 2003

It’s a truism today that in this time of “war,” we must shift the balance between liberty and security, sacrificing some freedom in order to protect our society from assault. Leave aside that this ignores Benjamin Franklin’s famous statement about freedom and security. Funny how we blithely forget ... [click for more]

Economic Liberty and the Constitution, Part 8

by Jacob G. Hornberger January 1, 2003

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 |  Table of Contents The tremendous legal battle between the advocates of economic ... [click for more]

The Real State of the Union

by Scott McPherson December 27, 2002

In late January, President Bush will speak to the nation from the House of Representatives in his annual state of the Union address. By the tens of millions Americans will tune in to hear the president outline his legislative agenda for the coming year and congratulate himself on his past ... [click for more]

Spitting on the Constitution

by Scott McPherson December 12, 2002

On December 6, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld California’s ban on “assault rifles” on the ground that only state organizations, and not private citizens, have the right to keep and bear arms.  The Court ruled that the Second Amendment did not apply to “an ‘unregulated’ mob of armed individuals.” The ... [click for more]

Economic Liberty and the Constitution, Part 7

by Jacob G. Hornberger December 1, 2002

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 |  Table of Contents In 1895 the New York legislature enacted a law ... [click for more]

The Glass Houses of Dictators

by Jacob G. Hornberger November 18, 2002

President Bush’s reaction to the Iraqi parliament’s rejection of the newly enacted UN resolution authorizing renewed inspections in Iraq provides a fascinating insight into the direction in which our own nation is headed. According to the New York Times, President Bush said, “The Iraqi Parliament is nothing but a rubber stamp ... [click for more]

Economic Liberty and the Constitution, Part 6

by Jacob G. Hornberger November 1, 2002

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 |  Table of Contents In the late 1800s, the state of New York ... [click for more]

Economic Liberty and the Constitution, Part 5

by Jacob G. Hornberger October 1, 2002

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 |  Table of Contents In the Slaughterhouse Cases (1872), the U.S. Supreme Court, ... [click for more]

Coming Assaults on America

by Sheldon Richman October 1, 2002

What do the coming war against Iraq and the pending threat to medical privacy have in common? Both give the lie to the belief that we Americans live under a system of limited, representative government. The civics textbooks are hooey, but they serve a purpose as a sedative for the next ... [click for more]

Whither Congress?

by Scott McPherson September 23, 2002

As President Bush rushes the nation headlong into another foreign war, an important question should be finally and unambiguously answered: What exactly were those old gentlemen talking about in 1787 when they wrote that Congress, not the president, held the power to declare war? Are we to believe that they actually ... [click for more]

Economic Liberty and the Constitution, Part 4

by Jacob G. Hornberger September 1, 2002

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 |  Table of Contents After the end of the Civil War, the “carpetbag” ... [click for more]