Commentary
Does the U.S. Constitution Apply to the States?
I recently heard, yet again, that the U.S. Constitution only applies to the federal government and not to the states, and that each state has it’s own Constitution it must follow. And that got me thinking: What does the Constitution say about that?
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How Long is a Federal Judge’s Term?
Every time there’s a new Supreme Court vacancy we hear talk about judges having a lifetime appointment. But is that what the Constitution says? In short: No. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, So, if federal judges hold office during good behavior, who defines “good…
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Do we have three co-equal branches of government?
As long as I can remember, I’ve been told we have three co-equal branches of government in Washington. Since I was taught it in government-run schools, I’ve heard it espoused from journalists, politicians, and just about everyone else when the topic comes up. But is that true?
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How can you tell when a politician is lying?
I’m sure you’ve all heard the joke, “How can you tell when a politician is lying?” The answer, of course, is: “When their lips are moving!” While this is a sad commentary on the state of politics in the 21st century, it’s an even sadder commentary on the state of our society! What does it…
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Do you know why the U.S. has an Electoral College?
I’m sure you’ve heard people decrying the electoral college because it’s anti-democratic. And you’ve also heard that it’s necessary to keep two or three states from dominating the presidential elections. Guess what? They’re both correct.
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Studying the Constitution is not as hard as you may think
Studying the Constitution is not as hard as you may think. Over the years we have delegated the privilege of reading and understanding the Constitution to a high-priesthood of nine people in black robes, the Supreme Court of the United States and their acolytes, the judges, lawyers and clerks of our legal system. But this…
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