“General Welfare” and “Common Defense” Explained by James Madison
By: Mike Maharrey The words “provide for the common defense and general welfare” rank among the most abused phrases in the Constitution. I often refer to this as the “anything ...
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James Madison on the Ignored “Fundamental Principle of the Revolution”
By: Mike Maharrey Forget schoolhouse history. James Madison exposed a much deeper truth about the American Revolution. It wasn’t just “taxation without representation.” He argued that This clash, Madison declared, ...
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Timely Lessons About Tyranny from the Father of the Constitution
By: John Whitehead James Madison, often referred to as the “Father of the Constitution,” once predicted that the Bill of Rights would become mere “parchment barrier,” words on paper ...
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The Tyranny of the Majority
By: Judge Andrew Napolitano Does it really matter if the instrument curtailing liberty is a monarch or a popularly elected legislature? This conundrum, along with the witty version of ...
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Constituting Unity
by Yuval Levin We live in an age of animosity. Americans are polarized, and often bitterly divided. And the institutions of our public life seem only to exacerbate our discord. ...
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Six Must Read Sources from Thomas Jefferson and James Madison
By: Michael Boldin Most people today have little to no familiarity with any of the principles that influenced the founders. Below, you’ll find 6 important resources hand-picked by Thomas Jefferson and ...
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Thomas Jefferson and James Madison’s “Must Read” Sources to Understand Liberty and American Government
By: Mike Maharrey How can we learn about the founding principles and the meaning of the Constitution? Minutes from an 1825 meeting of the University of Virginia Board of Visitors shed some ...
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Clash of the Titans: Patrick Henry and James Madison and the Virginia Ratifying Convention of 1788
by Joe Wolverton, II, J.D. Anytime anybody asks me what books I would recommend to someone who wants to learn more about the Constitution and to understand exactly what the Founding ...
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Anti-Commandeering: The Top-6 Questions
By: Michael Boldin The most effective way to nullify federal programs is to use James Madison’s advice, “a refusal to cooperate with officers of the Union,” which the Supreme Court has ...
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The Anti-Commandeering Doctrine: An Introduction
By: Mike Maharrey The anti-commandeering doctrine provides a powerful tool to undermine overreaching, unconstitutional federal power. So, what is this doctrine? What is it based upon? And how can it be ...
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