Constitution
Bill of Rights: Born From the Fight Over Delegated and Reserved Powers
On December 15, 1791, the Bill of Rights was ratified and became part of the Constitution. Most people think they know why. But most actually don’t. It was birthed out of a brutal political battle between Federalists and Anti-Federalists over a question that nearly...
The Constitution and the Trump Tariffs
Are tariffs always taxes? When does a statute granting powers to the president go too far? These are some of the questions the Supreme Court will address in two consolidated tariffs cases: Learning Resources, Inc v. Trump and Trump v. V.O.S. Selections. This...
Were the Anti-Federalists Right?
“A monarchy, or a corrupt, tyrannical aristocracy” That’s what George Mason predicted we’d get under the constitution. And he was far from alone. The Anti-Federalists repeatedly warned that the constitution wouldn’t actually create a federal union....
Tariffs: The First Economic Battle Under the Constitution
The very first economic fight under the Constitution wasn’t over a national bank. It wasn’t over building roads or canals. It was about tariffs. This was, as James Madison called it, the subject of “the greatest magnitude” – demanding, he insisted,...