Tag: US constitution
A history of free speech in America
June 8, 2023 | Post
The history of free speech in the United States is a complex and fascinating topic, deeply rooted in the nation’s founding principles. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1791, protects the right to free speech, along with freedom of religion, the press, assembly, and petition.
Obama’s constitutional legacy
January 27, 2017 | Post
Obama deserves credit for helping to push the struggle for same-sex marriage to a successful conclusion, for appointing some highly capable judges (despite flaws in their judicial philosophy), and for causing the Supreme Court to establish some valuable precedents protecting federalism, property rights, and religious freedom (albeit, often unintentionally). On the other hand, we may well have occasion to rue his overly expansive approach to executive power, particularly when it comes to initiating wars without congressional authorization.
Trump inherits a super-powered presidency.
December 25, 2016 | Post
Now that the Electoral College has made Trump’s 2016 win final, this a good time to start thinking about what powers he will have when he comes into office in January.
It’s Your Right to Burn the Flag
December 23, 2016 | Post
The Founders understood the incentive faced by Congress and the president to exceed the constitutional limits on their power.
The Legacy of President Obama's Pardon Power
October 3, 2016 | Post
So far, in 2016, he has granted 493. Consequently, the President’s current total for commutations (673 – almost all for drug offenders) is greater than that of several of his predecessors combined and more than any single president has granted since Calvin Coolidge.
Peyote, Alcohol, and Religious Liberty
September 28, 2016 | Post
In this seventh installment in his series on religious liberty, Prof. Mark Hall explains how legislators have carved out exemptions to the Controlled Substances Act to protect religious ceremonies involving controlled substances.
Friday Links
September 9, 2016 | Post
It was a wild week. Here are some highlights! Roger Pilon of the Cato Institute speaks on the philosophical foundations of the Constitution in this podcast. NYT criticizes Gary Johnson for Aleppo gaffe, misidentifies Aleppo three times. Read the story of how refugees in Hong Kong helped hide Edward Snowden for weeks following the NSA leaks. […]
Lysander Spooner on the Social Contract
February 24, 2016 | Post
For more of Spooner’s libertarian anarchist criticism of the US Constitution, check out his “No Treason: The Constitution of No Authority.”