James Madison
James Madison on War as a Great Threat to Liberty
Excerpted from Political Observations, 20 April 1795 Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded, because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies,...
What Do We Mean By “States’ Rights?”
You’ll often hear the term “states’ rights” thrown around. When I use that term (and I really don’t like to) somebody will invariably respond, “States can’t have rights. Only people have rights.” You know what?...
What Happened to the Freedom of Speech?
“Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press…” – First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution When James Madison agreed be the scrivener at the Constitutional Convention during the summer of 1787, he could not...
Once Upon a Time in America
There was a time in American history — nearly all of it up to the presidency of Woodrow Wilson — when the federal government followed basic constitutional norms. With some unique and discrete exceptions, like the Civil War, Congress wrote the laws, the president...