Explaining the zero-sum game that American politics has devolved into using a little bit of ‘80s pop culture.
The Progress of Leviathan
Trumpism is simply the inevitable result of a century-long expansion of federal authority and the centralizing of power in the US Presidency.
Link: Does the Constitution Hang by a Thread?
The US Constitution hangs by far fewer threads than it did even a few years ago. But of those threads, I will say this: there may be few, but they have the capacity to be strong.
Link: What Are Constitutional Values?
The US Constitution doesn’t exist in a vacuum. There are strong ideological and philosophical underpinnings behind its provisions and framework.
What About Limited Government?
In a contest between nationalists and progressives, the founding vision is no where to be found.
Link: A Shot Across Federalism’s Bow
It would be difficult to find another piece of legislation originating in the United States House of Representatives which attempts to side-step the notions of federalism, state sovereignty, and unalienable rights more than the For the People Act of 2019.
A Quick Note on Political “Science”
I’ve long preferred the term political philosophy over political science because there’s a necessary human element to what should be considered good governance.
Episode 4 – #ExGOP
Full transcript of the episode and link for direct download – Justin discusses his decision to leave the GOP in detail while also discussing Trump’s impeachment, the state of the Republican Party, and also briefly addresses the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
Link: Second Class Citizens?
Can a segment of America’s citizens be carved out as a separate class of people whose rights can be limited at the same time those rights are maintained by others? Judging by the desire to craft laws to further limit access to firearms for those between 18-21 years of age, many answer that question in the affirmative.
The Democrats Are Missing the Barn
Instead of a corrective response to Trump’s post-constitutionalism, the Democratic vision seems to be an assertion that he’s merely not abandoning constitutional values in the right way.