"The truth is, all might be free if they valued freedom, and defended it as they ought." - Samuel Adams

Constitution 101: Full Faith and Credit

Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution requires every state to give “full faith and credit” to public acts, records and judicial proceedings of every other state. This rather obscure constitutional provision eased its way into the spotlight in recent months as gun rights advocates have pushed for national concealed-carry reciprocity. A federal conceal-carry reciprocity..

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Constitution 101: The Judiciary and Judicial Review

The federal judiciary has arguably become the most powerful branch of the general government. Opinions issued by nine politically connected lawyers have redefined marriage throughout the entire United States, authorized the internment of American citizens and dictated what kinds of decorations cities can display in their parks. Federal courts were never intended to wield this..

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Constitution 101: The Preamble

For many Americans, knowledge of the Constitution begins and ends with the preamble. A lot of you probably even memorized it at some point in school. I suppose you could laud the educational system for at least acknowledging the existence of America's governing document. But unfortunately, all of the focus on the preamble has done..

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Constitution 101: To Provide for the Common Defense

The left uses the general welfare clause as its "the federal government can do anything and everything clause." Meanwhile, the right has turned the phrase "provide for the common defense" into a similar justification for federal overreach. Progressives invoke the general welfare clause to justify all kinds of unconstitutional federal actions, from national healthcare to..

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Executive Orders

In his first full day in office, Pres. Trump signed a number of executive orders. His actions have rekindled fierce debate on the legitimacy of EOs. A lot of people seem to adopt one of two extremes. On the one hand, many argue the president can legitimately issue executive orders with virtually no limitation. The..

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Constitution 101: The Ninth Amendment

Generally, Americans treat the Ninth Amendment like the Bill of Rights’ unwanted stepchild. They mostly ignore it, and when they do talk about it, they often misunderstand it. In reality, the Ninth Amendment serves a very simply but crucial purpose. It expands the limits on the federal government – at least in a manner of..

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