Articles by James Caldwell

Constitutional FAQ Answer #141 | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q141. “When do you refer to the Constitution with a capital C and when do you refer to it with a small C?” A. Ah, an English usage question — I don’t get many of those. Generally, when...

Constitutional FAQ Answer #129 | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q129. “Does anyone know the exact dimensions of the Constitution?” A. According to the National Archives , where the Constitution is housed, each of the four pages is 28 3/4 inches by 23 5/8...

Constitutional FAQ Answer #13 | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q13. “I believe that gambling should be legalized in every form. Do you think that the ninth amendment of the constitution supports this claim, and why?” A. Is your argument that just because...

Constitutional FAQ Answer #130 | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q130. “I know the state of California recently did a recall election on their governor. Can recalls be done against any elected officials?” A. The recallability of any state or local elected...

Constitutional FAQ Answer #131 | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q131. “Does anyone know how many officially declared wars we had throughout history?” A. Not as many as you might think. The United States has been involved in a great many military actions,...

Constitutional FAQ Answer #132 | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q132. “I have a friend who is taking an American Government course presently. The professor told the class this past week that the U.S. Constitution was plagiarized completely. Is there any...

Constitutional FAQ Answer #133 | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q133. “Please tell me if there is any mention of GOD or LORD or CHRIST anywhere in the US constitution.” A. There is no direct mention of God in the Constitution, except in the formation of...

Constitutional FAQ Answer #134 | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q134. “Is there anything in the Constitution, Bill Of Rights or any Amendment that adds to discrimination due to race, color, or creed? I thought that ‘Sexual Preference’ was added, but I...

Constitutional FAQ Answer #122 | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q122. “I have been told that there is a section of the Constitution that talks about dividing existing states and how it cannot happen. Can you help me find this article?” A. Article 4,...

Constitutional FAQ Answer #123 | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q123. “Are civil rights and civil liberties the same thing?” A. They are used interchangeably and often mean the same thing. Certainly they do colloquially. More specifically, though, civil...

Constitutional FAQ Answer #124 | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q124. “If a proposed amendment violates the Constitution, should the Supreme Court be able to block its ratification?” A. With only one exception, an amendment to the Constitution cannot, by...

Constitutional FAQ Answer #125 | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q125. “On the Checks and Balances Page , it says that a legislative check on the legislature is that only the House can originate revenue bills. I’ve been told that only the House can...

Constitutional FAQ Answer #126 | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q126. “Was George Washington the first President of the United States?” A. This is a question that is commonly asked of students in high school – the answer seems obvious — yes, of...

Constitutional FAQ Answer #127 | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q127. “Can a president be impeached during a war?” A. Looking at the Constitution, there are several places where impeachment and war are mentioned (impeachment in Article 1, Sections 2 and...

Constitutional FAQ Answer #128 | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q128. “Does the Constitution set any requirements for potential cabinet members, such as age or residency?” A. A scan of the Constitution itself reveals that there is nothing therein that...

Constitutional FAQ Answer #116 | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q116. “I am wondering who actually was the first to sign the Constitution and when was it signed?” A. The answer to the second question can be found quite easily by checking the Constitution...

Constitutional FAQ Answer #117 | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q117. “How did the President’s Cabinet get its name?” A. Like many parts of the American political system, the idea of a cabinet was borrowed from Great Britain. Hundreds of years ago, the...

Constitutional FAQ Answer #118 | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q118. “I remember reading that if the citizens are unhappy with the way the Government is running the country they can choose to, I don’t know how to put it but, basically remove all members...

Constitutional FAQ Answer #119 | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q119. “‘Lost Cause’ revisionists claim that the Fourteenth Amendment was a hatchet-job, illegally passed, and, therefore, quite unconstitutional. Can you help me answer this charge?” A....

Constitutional FAQ Answer #12 | Question Index | Subject Index | Constitutional Index | Next Question>> Q12. “Can Congress set up an ethics committee to separate hard journalism from tabloid journalism?” A. I’m certain that such a proposal would A) never pass and B) would be declared...