Category: Constitutional Topics

Donald Trump has appointed six people to lead the Department of Defense across his two non-consecutive presidencies. The progression from his first term to his second reveals a dramatic shift in priorities – from prioritizing military experience and institutional credibility to selecting ideological warriors willing to fundamentally restructure the Pentagon. The contrast between James Mattis…

When the clock strikes midnight on September 30, the United States government may, once again, shut down. The word “shutdown” has become a familiar part of our political vocabulary, a recurring threat in our bitterly divided politics. But what does it actually mean? How did we get to a place where closing the government became…

This week, America marks the 238th anniversary of the signing of its most sacred civic document. In a new presidential proclamation, the U.S. Constitution is hailed as a “legendary charter” that codified “eternal truths.” But the story of the Constitution’s birth in the hot, stuffy summer of 1787 is not one of serene consensus. It…

It feels like the rules are changing. A protest that was once legal is now a crime. A bad joke that was once edgy is now a fireable offense. A political group you disagree with is suddenly labeled “extremist.” From college campuses in America to the halls of government in Europe and the streets of…

The shocking attack on Charlie Kirk on a university campus feels like a uniquely modern horror, a symptom of our bitterly divided times. But the act of using violence to silence a political voice is, tragically, not new. It is part of a long and bloody thread that runs through the American story. From the…

The American presidency is an office of immense power, but it is not a throne. The Constitution, through its brilliant and deliberate system of checks and balances, places firm limits on the executive. Yet throughout our history, some presidents have strained against those limits, testing the very foundations of our republic. This is not a…

It is the most delicate and terrifying question in American governance: What happens if the President, the most powerful person in the world, is no longer mentally or physically capable of leading? Recent public concerns over the health of both former President Joe Biden and, more quietly, the recent absences of President Donald Trump have…

As you fire up the grill this Labor Day and enjoy the last long weekend of summer, here’s a thought to go with your burger: where did your weekend actually come from? It wasn’t a gift from a generous boss or a natural feature of the calendar. The American weekend, and the 40-hour workweek that…

The Supreme Court is the final arbiter of American law. Its decisions are etched into the stone of legal precedent, shaping the nation for generations. But what happens when the guardian of our Constitution admits that it got the Constitution profoundly wrong? While rare, these moments of self-correction are among the most powerful and important…

A president threatens to federalize a city’s police force. States legalize marijuana while federal law forbids it. Governors sue the administration over an environmental rule. Every day, the headlines are filled with stories that reveal a fundamental, deliberate, and often-fierce conflict at the heart of our government. This is the perpetual tug-of-war between the states…