Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

Presidential immunity is in the news a lot lately.  It derives from a notion that all three branches of government retain powers to execute their duties under the constitution.  But there is also a tradition in our country that no one is above the law.  In a nation that follows established law, not following those laws can lead to anarchy or distrust in the government.  We have a lot to unpack with this very timely and relevant topic. To help us do so alongside our student panel, we are delighted to welcome fan-favorite guest Adam Carrington, associate professor of politics...

Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

Did you know the United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear four cases pertaining to social media this term?  One of the major issues is whether or not an elected official has the authority to limit speech on social media accounts by blocking critical comments pertaining to their work in office.  We know government cannot prohibit your speech, but are elected officials required to permit all comments on their official pages, or can they censor them? What about their personal pages?  Can the government pressure social media companies to take down posts the government seems...

Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

Who is the Speaker of the House and what are his duties?  How does a bill become law?  What are the three branches of government.  Let’s be honest, so many in our country are not fully educated on civics.    If we don’t understand how Congress works, we get frustrated with the whole process.  This leads to an overall sentiment that Congress is broken.  Our guest today likes to say “without public trust, you cannot govern.  Without governing, people get angry and hostile and walk away from the system.” Today, joining our student panel to discuss...

Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

Winning a war was just the beginning for George Washington’s service to our new country.  After retiring to Mount Vernon post-war, Washington saw a weakness in our country under the Articles of Confederation.  He felt the future of republican democratic self-government globally was dependent on the American experiment.  If it were to fail in that perfect post-war moment, man was probably not destined to govern himself. Washington’s views on what the government should look like can seem to be contradictory in that he wanted a strong central government, as opposed to what the...

Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

The relationship between the federal and state governments is not always clear.  These two governments exist simultaneously but at times have different goals and objectives.  The federal government can use its purse strings to coerce a state government to take an action and that state can simply refuse.  The Founders wanted states to solve major issues that were not under the federal purview to establish “laboratories of democracy.”  Joining our all-star student panel, we are happy to welcome Ken Cuccinelli, former Virginia state senator,  Virginia attorney general...

Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

Can you name the President?  We hope yes!  Can you name your state’s governor?  More than likely yes.  But can you name your mayor and city council members?  While the issues nationally get the most attention, your local government’s actions impact your day-to-day life more.  Issues like your water supply, trash pickup, sewage, and police and fire departments are all controlled by local entities.  Some mayors aren’t paid a salary at all but one defining feature of mayors is they come directly out of the community in which they are serving.  They...

Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

Regular listeners will certainly recognize this famous phrase from the Declaration of Independence: “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”  As the governed who give consent to the government, we have several mechanisms through which we can give that consent and voice approval or disapproval with an elected official.  Perhaps the most direct mechanism is through a town hall discussion.  A town hall is simply a public meeting between an elected official and their constituents where...

Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

At Constituting America, we love to talk about federalism.  Federalism is a founding principle that government authority is best when one central government does not have all authority, but it is divvied up between local, state and national government.  Have you ever thought about why we have this system and what its virtues are?  In a large country with varied geographical interests, why does this system work?  Should those closest to a problem be the ones to solve that problem, and what are the benefits of this principle of subsidiarity? To help us further grasp the...

Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

We have a military.  We have a militia.  When it comes to protecting our citizens, both play a role.  The same militia mentioned in the second amendment is actually defined in 10 U.S. Code § 246 as able-bodied men over 17 and under 45 years old, who are or intend to become US citizens and female citizens who are members of the National Guard.  What precisely are the differences in roles of the organized and unorganized militia compared to the military?  Under what circumstances is a militia’s Commander in Chief the President or a state’s governor?  When can...

Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

One of the biggest events in the news lately has been the situation at our southern border and illegal immigration.  Texas, due to its lengthy border with Mexico, is front and center in this discussion that involves the role both state and federal governments play in immigration.  While the U.S. Constitution says Congress has the authority to write immigration-related laws and the executive branch has the authority to implement these laws, what can a state do if the laws are not carried out?  Joining our all-star student panel to answer this, we are pleased to welcome Lora Ries,...