Constitution

The Poisoning of “States’ Rights”

by Sheldon Richman March 1, 2003

Schadenfreude. That’s what I felt watching former Senate majority leader Trent Lott twist in the wind over his expressed wish that Strom Thurmond had won the presidency in 1948. “A malicious satisfaction in the misfortunes of others.” Lott is a typical Republican leader. He occasionally talks about limiting government power, but his actions are those of a conservative big-government wheeler-dealer ...

Economic Liberty and the Constitution, Part 9

by Jacob G. Hornberger February 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 ancient Chinese symbol for “crisis” is made up ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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, ...

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 ...