Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

One of the genius aspects of the United States Constitution is the emphasis on protecting individual liberty.  The document protects liberty through separation of powers so power is not concentrated exclusively in any one branch.  To fulfill the desires of the people, the process through which national legislation is introduced begins on the floor of either the U.S. House or the U.S. Senate.  Today, we are talking about the process and procedures for legislation on the floor of the U.S. House.  To walk us through this sometimes confusing process, we are delighted to welcome...

Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

Did you know there are thousands upon thousands of bills filed every year in the US House and Senate?  Only a fraction of those reach a floor vote and only a small amount of those are passed and signed into law.  Before a bill can reach the floor, it must first go through the committee process.  To help us learn what this process is and what it entails, we are delighted to welcome Cyrus Artz. Cyrus is the former staff director of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, and currently a senior policy advisor in the Office of the Speaker of the U.S. House of...

Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

Article 1 of the US Constitution creates Congress and gives Congress the power to write and pass laws.  But what does that process look like?  What is the procedure through which a bill introduced in one chamber is then passed in the other chamber?  What is the committee process and its effect on whether or not a bill comes to the floor for a vote?  What influence can the average American have in this process?  To discuss this rather complex process, we are excited to welcome Dr. Dave Brat to our chat this week.  Dr. Brat is a former...

Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

Next in the line of succession for the Presidency, after the Vice President. Presiding officer over all 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Responsible for implementing a legislative agenda.  Today we are discussing one of the most powerful positions in our federal government, the Speaker of the House of Representatives.  What are the duties of the speaker?  How does the Speaker influence federal policymaking.  What role does the Speaker play politically in getting individuals elected and reelected?  To walk us through the day to day life of the Speaker...

Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

Constitutional Chats Podcast Episode 247 For being such a public figure, the role of the First Lady of the United States is not well-defined.  Some have taken very public roles and played a part in crafting and changing policy and others prefer to be a bit more low-profile.  Since the role is not defined by any law or statute, it is up to each First Lady to determine the visibility and role they will play in a presidential administration.  To guide our student panel through these ever-changing roles, we have a veteran of 4 White House administrations across 3...

Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

The American Revolution ended in 1781.  The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783.  George Washington was elected our country’s first president in 1788 and sworn in 1789.  Besides the Constitutional Convention 1787, there has not been significant  scholarly study into what George Washington was doing in the intervening years between the end of the Revolutionary War and his election as President.  Our guest today wrote a book on those years called, “The Return of George Washington: Uniting the States, 1783-1789” and will chat with our student panel on Washington’s...

Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

The Executive Branch of our country, led by the President, oversees millions of federal employees and hundreds of White House staff.  Obviously, the President cannot directly manage all of these employees.  To aid in this administrative function, the President appoints several dozen “Assistants to the President.”  This is the highest ranking staff position in the White House and their duty is to provide strategic counsel and oversee major initiatives based on goals set by the President.  To further explain this role, we have a former Assistant to the President on our...

Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

He was a university president who became the President of the United States.  He took us into war with Germany in World War I but later won a Nobel Peace Prize as the leading architect behind the League of Nations.  To discuss our 28th President with our student panel, we are pleased to welcome Christopher Cox to talk about his book, “Woodrow Wilson: The Light Withdrawn.”

Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

The idea of the United States acquiring Greenland is not a new idea.  This idea has been kicked around since the 19th century but revisited with the new presidential administration.  Why would the US have an interest in acquiring Greenland?  What are the strategic and economic advantages in doing so?  How could this acquisition be compared to the Louisiana Purchase?  And can it even happen?  There are lots of questions surrounding this timely topic and to help our student panel address them, we are happy to welcome back Jim Pinkerton.  Jim is a longtime...

Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

When one presidential administration ends, another begins.  While the public watches the transition on TV, behind the scenes there’s a well orchestrated symphony executing the plan to bring in a new administration.  To walk us through the nuts and bolts of what happens behind the scenes, we are joined by a veteran of one such transition as a guest today!  Sean Spicer served as the 30th White House Press Secretary and Acting White House Communications Director during the first Trump administration and will share his insight into this historic day.