US Constitution

Modernize the Constitution, But Do it Through an Amendment

Rui Dai | Posted 05.31.2012

Rui Dai

Yes, the U.S. Constitution desperately needs to be updated. However, any updates should go through the amendment process. The U.S. Constitution may be flawed, but changing it outright is more dangerous.

God Bless America. God Save the Queen

Robin Koerner | Posted 05.30.2012

Robin Koerner

Whereas Americans find their identity in the future that they are building, the British find their identity in their past -- in the institutions, ideas and even buildings that tell the story of a nation that has always been a work in progress.

How to Prevent Indefinite Military Detention in the United States. Really.

Daphne Eviatar | Posted 05.17.2012

Daphne Eviatar

The National Defense Authorization Act rightly outraged many on both the left and the right last year, and legislators from all over the political map are now responding. But while one of those responses is real -- i.e., it would actually fix the problem -- one is not, and by pretending to fix it would only make things worse.

Reflections on the Earnest "Pursuit of Happiness"

Bob Banov and Roger Ohlsen | Posted 05.17.2012

Bob Banov and Roger Ohlsen

When you consider that the founding fathers of our country tried to provide us with the means for the actual separation between church and state, you ...

Restoring Majority Rule in the Senate

Bob Edgar | Posted 05.14.2012

Bob Edgar

The filibuster does not extend debate -- its supposed purpose -- it stops debate. It's an affront to our democracy, and it has real consequences for real people. That's why Common Cause filed suit on Monday to stop it.

Constitution Check: Did President Obama Endorse a Constitutional Right to Same-Sex Marriage?

Lyle Denniston | Posted 05.11.2012

Lyle Denniston

There are four ways that a legal right of same-sex couples to enter civil marriage could be created and apply to all states -- two methods under the Constitution, and two by act of Congress.

Denver Court Says Undocumented Immigrants Can't Have Guns

AP | Posted 05.10.2012

DENVER — A federal appeals court says undocumented immigrants don't have a right to own firearms under the U.S. Constitution. Emmanuel Huitron-Gu...

Civic Illiteracy: A Threat to the American Dream

Michael Ford | Posted 04.30.2012

Michael Ford

The effects of civic illiteracy take their toll over time, and while Americans are almost defiantly indifferent about their lack of civic understanding, the consequences to our basic rights and freedoms and the general health of our republic could be dire.

The Dumbest Show on Fox News Channel Ever

Bob Cesca | Posted 04.25.2012

Bob Cesca

2012-04-25-Screenshot20120425at2.59.19PM.jpgIf Fox News was trying to create a show that would amplify the intellectual stature of the usually moronic Fox & Friends, they have totally succeeded with The Five.

Declaration for Democracy

Sean Siperstein | Posted 04.20.2012

Sean Siperstein

The grassroots movement for a constitutional amendment to return control over our democracy to We the People just got a big endorsement from more than a dozen members of the United States Congress.

Constitution Is Clearly a Living Document

Byron Williams | Posted 04.16.2012

Byron Williams

The Constitution must be a living document if it is to represent those living today. The flaw in its inception would be its original intent excluded so many people.

Regarding Iran, America Must Look to the Constitution

Jonathan Granoff | Posted 04.13.2012

Jonathan Granoff

Nothing can so erode confidence in the proper use of power by the strongest nation in the world than failure to adhere to the rules that we have agreed should be binding.

Philadelphia Freedom: Birthplace of the Constitution Takes Center Stage

Ellen Brown | Posted 04.09.2012

Ellen Brown

'Cause I live and breathe this Philadelphia freedom From the day that I was born I've waved the flag Philadelphia freedom took me knee-high to a man Y...

Selecting Facts Regarding the Supreme Court

Howard Steven Friedman | Posted 04.06.2012

Howard Steven Friedman

The Constitution does not explicitly state that the Supreme Court has the right to review laws and declare them constitutional or not. In fact, the Supreme Court gave themselves this power in Marbury v. Madison.

The Supreme Court: Out of Touch and Out of Line

Nan Aron | Posted 04.05.2012

Nan Aron

It's probably too much to ask that the Supreme Court's right wing espouse the same principles from one case to the next. But legal flip-flopping is not the biggest potential problem in the Court's consideration of the Affordable Care Act.

What President Obama Should Have Said About the Supreme Court and the Affordable Care Act

Eric Segall | Posted 04.05.2012

Eric Segall

A Court decision to overturn the individual mandate would be inconsistent with precedent dating all the way back to 1824, and would represent an effort by the Justices to inject themselves into the political and policy debates surrounding our health care problems.

Science, Religion And The First Amendment

Robert J. Asher | Posted 04.19.2012

Robert J. Asher

Teachers do not have the "academic freedom" to distort this evidence. There is a clear, historical link between creationist objections to evolutionary theory and religiously motivated incursions into school curricula.

Taking Care of Our Constitution

Alex Glashausser | Posted 04.03.2012

Alex Glashausser

Without the mandate, the costs of taking care of our own may become unsustainable. Striking it down thus would be a step toward the potential repeal of the Emergency Medical Treatment Act -- a repeal that would, for many, be a death trap.

Mitt, Want to Win the Nomination Before the Convention?

Howard Steven Friedman | Posted 05.19.2012

Howard Steven Friedman

If you want to wrap this up and move to challenge President Obama in the fall, you need to learn from Al Gore's mistakes.

Santorum: I Am Your "Senador Puertorriqueño," But Don't Talk to Me in Spanish

Dorian de Wind | Posted 05.15.2012

Dorian de Wind

When it comes to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, there are a couple of unusual aspects about the political relations between the "mainland" and that ...

President Obama: Render Unto God the Things that Are God's

Sister Mary Ann Walsh | Posted 05.03.2012

Sister Mary Ann Walsh

Jesus is often quoted for his saying to "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's." The rest of the quote could be a message to the Obama Administration: "Render unto God the things that are God's."

The U.S. Constitution: What If You Could Explain the Crafting of This Document in Less Than an Hour?

Kate Kelly | Posted 04.28.2012

Kate Kelly

The United States Constitution is one of the most influential political documents of all time, and it is the cornerstone that supports our liberty. ...

Is The USA The Only Nation in the World With Corporate Personhood?

Rob Kall | Posted 04.09.2012

Rob Kall

Mila Versteeg, associate law professor at the University of Virginia, is probably the only person in the world to have read every constitution that has been written since 1946 -- constitutions from 186 nations.

The Politics of Sustainability

John Friedman | Posted 04.09.2012

John Friedman

It is time to review our foundational values and documents and establish why sustainability is very much based on American values that transcend today's politicized political climate.

The Right to Reopen an Adverse Decision From Abroad

Aggie R. Hoffman | Posted 04.04.2012

Aggie R. Hoffman

Our highest law is the U.S. Constitution, defining rights of citizens, of those who are present within our jurisdiction, and controlling issues of national importance such as the making of treaties, protection of our borders, and immigration.