Category — Constitution

WWTFT was launched as a means of chronicling its founders exploration of American history. Along the way, it has provided a soapbox upon which he and other writers have stood to proclaim what we view as grave dangers to the republic. As the first Obama administration wore on, our readers undoubtedly detected an increase in the stridency of our commentary. Some might say vitriol. Well, we would say, that is what comes from seeing what seems obvious to us - America is on the wrong track, politically, economically, and most importantly, culturally. We don't claim to have all the answers, but we have now spent close to a decade in man years studying the founding of America. (And this estimate is probably on the low side, when one considers the 7 years Jim spent researching for Tempest at Dawn.) But we will continue to share what we learn and hope that it sparks an interest in someone somewhere to do their own investigation. Today's article is an examination of this writer's conclusions about American exceptionalism.   Read the rest of this entry »

We received a query from a reader asking about the electoral college and responded directly, but also thought this might be of some interest to other folk.   Read the rest of this entry »

Liberty can no more exist without virtue and independence than the body can live and move without a soul. The only serious aspect of politics is its relation to morality.   Read the rest of this entry »

President Eisenhower was among the faithful who listened to a powerful sermon by Presbyterian minister George Docherty, in which he argued for adding the phrase "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance.   Read the rest of this entry »

Hamilton defends two of the most talked about clauses in the Constitution. His arguments revolve around logic and jurisdiction. He isn't sparing with his aspersions as he explains the intent of the framers.   Read the rest of this entry »

James Madison and The Making of America is not really a biography. It is exactly what its title suggests, the story of the making of America, or at least its government. Kevin R. C. Gutzman’s book takes the reader on a chronological journey of Madison’s involvement in that process. It mirrors some aspects of Labunski’s James Madison and The Struggle For The Bill of Rights, but is broader in scope and less biographical than that excellent book.   Read the rest of this entry »

The American Bible is a fascinating collection of famous American texts bundled with relevant commentary which is sometimes enunciated more than 2 centuries after the fact. This is evidence that ideas are important both as agents of change and stability. Arguments over things like “the rule of law” are as important today as they were in 1776 and people are still fighting over these ideas today.   Read the rest of this entry »

The perspective of time and the unveiling of Deep Throat allowed Holland to add significantly to the history of Watergate. Future works by historians will include many references to Leak, Why Mark Felt Became Deep Throat.   Read the rest of this entry »

The spring 2012 issue of the Claremont Review of Books features an essay by the late James Q. Wilson entitled Tocqueville and America. Wilson discusses what, in his view, the French philosopher got right, and what he got wrong. In the course of the article he compares Tocqueville's views with that of the Founders.   Read the rest of this entry »

The Spring 2012 issue of The Claremont Review of Books features an essay by John Marini in which he explains this distinction between a constitution and a government. Marini’s thesis is that “constitutionalism as a theoretical doctrine is no longer meaningful in our politics.” Like most of the essays featured in the CRB, this one was thought provoking. The essay is quite extensive in its scope and depth. We will look at one aspect that caught this writer’s attention: Our Constitution is not our government.   Read the rest of this entry »