Thomas Jefferson
General Welfare Clause: The Truth They Never Teach
“It would be ABSURD to say … Congress may do what they please.” That was James Madison, obliterating the modern lie that the general Welfare Clause is a blank check for almost unlimited power. But that’s exactly how it’s treated and used today. The general Welfare...
Who Decides? The Founders’ Forgotten System of Checks and Balances
“There is not a syllable in the constitution, that makes a decision of the judiciary – of its own force, and without regard to its correctness – binding upon any body, either upon the executive, or the people.” That’s from Lysander Spooner, reminding us of...
Thomas Jefferson’s First Inaugural: Timeless Blueprint for the Constitution
Peace, freedom, the 10th Amendment, and the elimination of taxes: These are just a few of the principles Thomas Jefferson outlined in his first inaugural address. They weren’t mere policy suggestions, they represent timeless and revolutionary declarations against the...
Kentucky Resolutions of 1798: Jefferson on the Constitution’s Structure and How to Defend It
“A nullification of the act is the rightful remedy.” That’s how Thomas Jefferson put it in his draft Resolutions against the Alien and Sedition Acts. On November 10, 1798, the Kentucky house passed resolutions based on his principles. They not only...