Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

We share a 1,951 mile border with Mexico and that border sees millions upon millions of border crossings involving people and vehicles. Seemingly on a daily basis in the news cycle, we hear news related to the border. In this week's chat, we are honored to have two guests who have seen events unfold along the border in person: Former Acting United States Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf and Chairman of Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Clint Hickman. In this wide-ranging chat, we discuss numerous topics ranging from legal and illegal immigration, ongoing violence, fentanyl, cartels and what our government can and should do in response. Thank you for joining our student panel and actress Janine Turner for this insightful and frank discussion.

It has a population more than 4 times that of the United States. It produces goods and services we use in our daily lives. In our modern economy with the free-flow of information and high levels of technology, one must wonder the impact the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has on the global economy. Here's an interesting point to ponder as we get into today's discussion: China invents very little. That innovation comes from abroad. Yet the CCP has a near universal hold on the exchange of information within their country. How does the CCP manage to maintain this control? How did the cultural revolution in the 1960s and 1970s in China lay the groundwork for today's level of control? How is a seemingly harmless app like TikTok used as a function of the CCP to push propaganda within China and abroad? To answer these questions, we are thrilled to have Steve Yates, Chair of the China Policy Initiative with the America First Policy Institute, join our all-star panel for this eye-opening discussion.

His father died when was 11. His formal education ended at 14. By 17, he had mastered trigonometry and geometry and worked as a surveyor in the American West. Beyond that, he was a solider, leader and our country's first President. Yet, among all of his extraordinary accomplishments, Washington showed our new country what leadership was and is. After victory in the revolutionary war, he resigned his military commission, rather than attempting to seize power. He led the Constitutional Convention by barely speaking a word. And at the end of his term as President, he walked away and allowed the Presidency to pass on to another. He showed us leadership traits in his ability to communicate, collaborate and be civil. He taught us the importance of trust in those who work under you and the need for humility. President Washington is the archetype of the modern leader and his influence runs directly through each of his presidential successors. Discussing the legacy of President Washington, we are thrilled to have an incredible leader joining our panel, Read Adm. (ret) Peter Cressy, Ed D a renowned expert on leadership. Joining the Admiral, we have our all-star panel returning to discuss the incredible leadership lessons of President Washington.

Political parties. President George Washington warned against the rise of political parties (then, the Democratic-Republicans and the Federalists), going so far to say they could be used "to subvert the Power of the People" in his Farewell Address in 1796. In our current Congress, we have seen play out what Washington was warning us against. In this episode we are discussing bipartisanship and taking a look at just how feasible bipartisanship is in today's political climate. We are thrilled to welcome two freshman members of congress: Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI) and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY). Join our all-start student panel in this special episode as we discuss how these members of Congress have already worked together in Congress, how members interact with each other on the House floor and the future of bipartisan legislating!

You won't find Congress' oversight and investigations power in the U.S. Constitution, but it's one of the most important tools Congress has to do its job! Through Congressional Committees and their oversight and investigations work, Congress serves as a watchdog over the executive branch and researches national issues in need of legislative solutions. Today we discuss congressional oversight and investigation history going back to the first oversight hearing in 1791 over the Battle of the Wabash, to today, including some of the most high profile and contentious hearings in our nation's history. Join us as we discuss how congressional oversight and investigations functions and from where it derives its power. We are happy to welcome back returning Constitutional expert Scot Faulkner, the first Chief Administrative Officer of the U.S. House of Representatives, and our all-star student panel for this insightful discussion.

Members of Congress legislate on a wide range of issues: education, energy, agricultural, space, finance, taxation, national defense, immigration, to name a few. Can we reasonably expect members to be well-versed in the particulars in each of these issues as they pertain to upcoming or pending legislation? Not likely. Enter the committee systems. Over 200 congressional committees and sub-committees exist to address these issues. We are discussing the history of these committees and how they are used in today's political climate. We are honored to have Former Member of Congress Vin Weber joining our student panel for this insightful discussion.

There are 535 members of Congress: 435 in the House and 100 in the Senate. Each member has their own priorities and agenda. With so many differing priorities, how does anything get done? Enter party leadership. Regular Constituting America viewers know the roles of a U. S. Representative and Senator, but how much do you know about the congressional leadership? There's a Speaker of the House, House and Senate Majority and Minority leaders, Majority and Minority Whips. There's a President Pro Tempore in the Senate. What exactly do they do and how are they selected? Joining our student panel, we are excited to have Marc Lampkin, Capitol Hill veteran and aide to former House Speaker John Boehner, to help us understand how the congressional leadership functions.

What do you really know about the US Senate? You probably know there are 100 US Senators and they are elected every six years. And that there are two per state. But do you know why? The Senate has equal representation among the states for a reason that dates back to the Great Compromise of 1787 and is generally more prestigious than the US House of Representatives. We dive into each of these issues in today's chat. We are pleased to have Katherine Scott, Associate Historian in the US Senate Historical Office, join our all-star student panel to discuss the how and why of the US Senate.

It's March 1789. You've been elected to serve your community as a member of Congress. You arrive at Federal Hall in New York City to begin your service. You are assigned a desk and…that's it. No office. No support staff. It's a far cry from today where members have staff and offices in DC and in their districts. We are continuing our discussion on Congress and the Constitution by discussing the history of the House of Representatives. Who better to discuss this history than the Historian of the United States House of Representatives Matt Wasniewski? We are excited to have Matt with us alongside our all-star student panel for this informative discussion!

435 members from all 50 states. Elected every two years. Created by Article I of the United States Constitution. Regular listeners of our podcast will know from these facts we are talking today about our U.S. House of Representatives. What does Congress do? How does it function? How well do members of Congress know the Constitution? Today we are kicking off a new series in which we will be discussing everything related to Congress and the Constitution! To kick off this series, we are excited to have 13-term Retired and former House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte as our guest constitutional expert, along with our all-star student panel.

Once again, the Founders are showing off their talent to address complex issues succinctly in the Bill of Rights with the Tenth Amendment. At just 28 words, the 10th amendment has a profound impact on the side-by-side existence of federal law and state law. Simply put, powers not delegated federally are reserved to the states. Paraphrasing Madison assuaging the concerns of the Antifederalists in Federalist No. 45, the constitutional powers of the federal government are "few and defined" while the remaining powers to the states are "numerous and indefinite." Thank you for joining our alll-star panel, including the return of Constituting America Founder, Actress Janine Turner, and our special guest, Dr. Jeffrey Sikkenga of The Ashbrook Center at Ashland University, as we wrap up our study of the Bill of Rights.

The Ninth Amendment is not an amendment you hear discussed too often nor is there significant caselaw regarding it. However, that in no way diminishes the importance of it. To put simply, the Ninth Amendment is a guarantee the Bill of Rights does not limit our rights to only those previously enumerated in the document. How exactly does this affect each of us? How was Madison appeasing both the Federalist and Anti-Federalists through the Ninth Amendment? Is there a difference between an enumerated and unenumerated right? Join our all-star panel and guest Constitutional expert, Hillsdale Professor Adam Carrington, as we continue our study of the Bill of Rights.

We've spoken before of the Founders' penchant for brevity. The Eighth Amendment takes that habit to a new level. Just 16 words long, it still manages to codify three separate clauses related to limiting fines and punishment. Just what are these three clauses? What is the history behind the concerns regarding governmental power to punish that the Founders were alleviating and limiting? Just how important is that "and" in the cruel and unusual clause? To find out, join our weekly chat featuring Sam Gedge with the Institute for Justice and our student panel as we continue our study of the Bill of Rights!

The Founding Fathers were fond of brevity in creating our constitution. While few in words and somewhat overlooked compared to some of the other amendments, the 7th Amendment is long in impact. To be succinct, the 7th Amendment guarantees civil cases can be heard and decided by a jury. Why was this needed? What concerns were the Founders alleviating? And why does it mention a $20 minimum dispute? Join returning guest Joerg Knipprath with Southwestern Law School and our brilliant student panel for this chat on the 7th Amendment.

If someone is arrested in the United States, they will soon get their day in court to determine guilt or innocence, right? Imagine if that wasn't always the case. Imagine you are arrested and the state keeps you locked up for an unspecified amount of time before going to trial. Sadly, this was reality before the Sixth Amendment. What does it say exactly? What are the six legal protections within the amendment? What constitutes a fair and speedy trial? Join this week's chat featuring Robert Alt with the Buckeye Institute and our brilliant student panelists Tova and Lindsey as we unpack our Sixth Amendment.

Regular viewers of our podcast certainly understand the role of the Bill of Rights was not so much to grant rights to citizens but to limit the actions of the federal government in curtailing an individual's rights. That trend continues in the Fourth Amendment. It places two vital restrictions on the government: unreasonable search and seizures and warrants only with probable cause. Why is this so important? Just what exactly constitutes probable cause, reasonable suspicion and reasonable doubt? For these answers and so many others, join our special guest, Cully Stimson with the Heritage Foundation and our rockstar student panelists for this "reasonable" discussion into the Fourth Amendment.

"I plead the 5th!" We have all heard that line before whether it was on the evening news or a legal drama TV show. It's a legal protection pulled directly from the 5th Amendment which outlines criminal procedure and applies to federal, state and local governments. What exactly does it mean? What is a grand jury, the double jeopardy clause and the takings clause? We are excited to have Andrew Langer, President of the Institute for Liberty, returning as our guest along with our student panel as we discuss the 5th Amendment.

One might question why the 3rd Amendment was given such a lofty position behind 1st amendment protections and the right to keep and bear arms. It's not often talked about and doesn't drive the news cycle or inspire mass protesting. So why did The Founders codify that we do not have to quarter soldiers in our homes? What act of parliament was this amendment directly countering? And what role did the Boston Tea Party play to inspire such an amendment? Join our special guest, Hans von Spakovsky with the Heritage Foundation, and our all-star lineup of student panelists for this insightful conversation into the Third Amendment.

The Bill of Rights are quite the exercise in brevity. Perhaps that is no more apparent than in the second amendment. 27 words is all it has. Yet those 27 words have a set off countless newspaper articles, TV segments, court cases and endless debate. Just what did The Founders intend when they wrote those 27 words? What clues in other founding documents can give us insight into their intent? Does the amendment secure gun ownership only in the context of a militia or does it guarantee private ownership? And what exactly did DC v Heller establish in 2008? Join our special guest, Professor Nelson Lund with the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, and our all-star panel for this insightful discussion on the second amendment.

Perhaps no amendment is as hotly debated as the First Amendment, and specifically the clauses related to freedom of religion: the establishment clause and the free exercise clause. Even though none of the charges against the king outlined in the Declaration of Independence concern religion, religious liberty is the very first concern in the Bill of Rights. In the few words concerning religion, the words "separation of church and state" do not appear. That phrase comes from a letter Thomas Jefferson wrote years later. Our guest argues the real father and architect of religious liberty in our country is not Thomas Jefferson but James Madison due to Madison's grasp of the American understanding of religious liberty. Join our student panel and returning guest, Professor Chris Burkett, for this in-depth discussion on the natural right to religious liberty.

When someone refers to the First Amendment, they are often referring to freedom of speech. Are you aware that there are actually 6 enumerated freedoms protected in the First Amendment? Along with speech, the First Amendment guarantees Freedom of the Press, Freedom to Peaceably Assemble, Freedom to Petition the Government for Redress of Grievances, Freedom to Practice Religion and the notion of no state-mandated religion. We are going to discuss the last two in depth next week and will focus on the first four this week. Freedom of Speech and the Press are pretty well-known but it's important to point out that free press does not solely apply to journalists and publishers. It's what gives each of us the freedom to publish a blog or make a YouTube video. So what do the other two freedoms mean? Join our student panel (featuring new panelist Yashica Nabar) and guest speaker Professor Bradley Smith of Capital University Law School in Ohio for this enlightening discussion into our basic freedoms.

We are kicking off a new series today focusing on the Bill of Rights. Hopefully we all know the Bill of Rights are the first 10 amendments to the Constitution and enshrine some of the most basic tenets of liberty and freedom we know today. But what do we know beyond that? What do we know about how it came to pass through ratification and the debate between the Federalists and Anti-federalists on this issue? And why was James Madison, one of our country's Founders and Father of the Constitution so opposed to its passage initially, and how and why did he become its champion? Join our panel and returning guest Tony Williams with the Bill of Rights Institute for part 1 in our new series on the Bill of Rights.

It's been called "The Miracle at Philadephia." Though most of us, we hope, know our Constitution was an experiment in self-government, do we really understand how revolutionary it was in the late 18th century to create such a government or the struggles endured to see it signed and ratified? The Founders believed for this experiment to succeed, the document itself wasn't enough. The principles contained therein have to be in the heart and minds of Americans. In that way, those principles give the document life and animate it. According to our special guest, Dr. Jeffrey Sikkenga, Executive Director of the Ashbrook Center, we must reanimate those principles each generation and relearn them. Our American story is complex. It has heroes and villains, success and failure. At the heart of it is a document signed in 1787 that gave life to our country. Join Dr. Sikkenga and our all-star panel for this enlightening discussion in how we will continue to reanimate the United States Constitution. Check out the Ashbrook Center's new website: AmericanFounding.org.

Buckle up, we are going to cover a lot of ground today! As we have learned, the grand structures of our government were created in earlier articles in the US Constitution: Congress, the Presidency, the Judiciary, the Amendment Process, the guarantee of republicanism. Article VI codified that debts incurred by the previous government would be recognized and paid back by the new government under the Constitution. Why was this important in making our new country a player on the international stage? Why were the Supremacy Clause and Oath Clause in Article VI revolutionary for its time and how did they work to bind the states into one unified country? And why wouldn't our country exists if not for Article VII which changed our system for ratifying the new Constitution? Join our student panel and guest, Former Assistant to the President for Economic Policy Andrew Olmem for our discussion into Articles VI and VII of the US Constitution.

Through Articles, 1-4, The Constitution gives us three branches of government and guarantees republicanism to the states. Should we later desire an amendment to the Constitution, how would that happen? Article V answers that question by codifying an amendment process. The Founders wanted to strike the right balance between too strong of a central government, like the monarchy in England from whom we had just separated, and too weak of a government like we had under the Articles of Confederation. They realized the importance of being able to tweak government without having to overthrow a monarch or engage in revolution. The purpose of Article V is to allow change but not in a hasty manner. Nor was the purpose to require unanimity, as under the Articles of Confederation, making change nearly an impossible achievement. Join our student panel and returning guest, Horace Cooper, senior fellow with the National Center for Public Policy Research for this insightful conversation.

If you've been following our discussion over the last few weeks about each article of the U.S. Constitution, you know the Founders created the legislative, executive and federal judiciary with Articles 1-3. But it took far more than just organization at the federal level to create our government. Enter Article 4, which guarantees republicanism to every state. Why is that so important and vital in creating a long-lasting peaceful system in which we have both a federal government alongside 50 state governments and what is a regime? Join our panel and returning guest, Will Morrisey, Professor Emeritus at Hillsdale College to find out!

The Constitution creates the federal judiciary in Article III, but did you know it does not actually give a specific number of Supreme Court Justices we are to have? Throughout our country's history, we have fluctuated between 5-10 Justices, but have held steady at nine since 1869. The last few years have seen a renewed interest in "court-packing," that is, expanding the number of Justices to change the ideological balance of the court. Today we welcome new student panelist and "We The People Contest" winner Lindsey Larkin. Join Lindsey, Tova, Cathy and our special guest, Constitutional expert John Vecchione, Senior Litigation Counsel for the New Civil Liberties Alliance, as we continue our discussion on Article III of the United States Constitution.

Did you know Article 3 of the U.S. Constitution, which creates the federal judiciary, has its roots in the Declaration of Independence? That's right. Among the charges Thomas Jefferson cited for independence, he writes, "He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries." The Founding Fathers directly addressed this in Article 3, Section I, when they granted the judiciary to have lifetime appointments and their salaries could not be cut by Congress. Join our special guest, Judge Kenton Skarin with the 18th Judicial Circuit in Illinois, and our student panel for this conversation as we discuss the history of the court, original and appellate jurisdiction, Marbury v. Madison and from where the Court gets the power to rule on constitutionality.

The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by one in 1863. One created the precursor to the Department of Homeland Security in October 2001. George Washington issued 8 of them, including one establishing our Thanksgiving Holiday. President Harrison issued none, while President Franklin Roosevelt issued 3,721 (by some count). Today we are discussing Executive Orders. What are they? How are they used? How does the Constitution grant this immense power to the president and what are the mechanisms we have to modify or revoke them? Join our special guest, Kara Rollins, Litigation Counsel with the New Civil Liberties Alliance, and our student panel as we examine the history and current application of executive orders.

Regular followers of Constituting America know this by heart: Article I of our Constitution creates Congress which creates law. Article II creates the Executive Branch which enforces law. Article III creates the Judicial Branch which interprets law. Article II is what we are discussing today. While we know the President is the head of the executive branch, that position alone cannot enforce all law. So how does any law passed by Congress actually get enforced? There are 15 Cabinet-level departments in the Executive Branch whose job is to enforce law. Additionally, according to our guest, there are between 320-450 federal agencies, offices within the federal government, that create the rules and regulations that allow Congressionally-passed federal law to be enforced. Our special guest today is Andrew Langer, President of the Institute for Liberty and Chairman and Founder of the Institute for Regulatory Analysis and Engagement. Join Andrew and our student panels for this illustrious discussion into the mechanisms through which our laws are enforced.

Constituting America viewers of a certain generation will undoubtedly remember a cartoon from Schoolhouse Rock called "I'm Just A Bill" that explained the legislative process in how a bill becomes law. James Madison wanted the process of legislating to be intentionally difficult through both houses to prevent what he called in Federalist 62 as "improper acts of legislation." We all know Congress is made up of two bodies: the House and Senate. But what is the process of how a bill winds its way through the House and Senate and ultimately lands on the President's desk to be signed into law? How can a bill still become law when the President does not sign it? And what on earth are committees, subcommittees, conference committees, party whips and Appropriations and what role do they all play in lawmaking? Join our all-star panel for this informative discussion with Professor Colleen Sheehan of Arizona State University who is also a former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives!

This is worth pondering. We know the very first article in the U.S. Constitution creates Congress and gives it power at the same time. For lawmaking authority to be delegated to Congress, that means that power already existed but wasn't delegated, right? Where did that power reside? The answer to that question is found in the first 3 words in the Preamble, "We The People." If the legislative branch writes law, the executive branch enforces law and the judiciary adjudicates and interprets law, the next logical question must be what are laws? How are they enforced through a system of punishments and rewards? We know this is a lot of questions to ask all at once. But these questions and so many more are discussed in this week's chat with our special guest, Dr. Adam Carrington with Hillsdale College, and our student panel with new student panelist, Halley Moak!

Fifty-five men arguing over 88 days. That's what it took at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 to draft a preamble and the seven articles that make up our Constitution. With the Articles of Confederation as a starting point, what were the challenges facing the delegates? How were compromises reached balancing state vs. federal power? What structural changes to the Articles of Confederation were made? All of these questions and many many more are answered in this exciting chat with our student panel, Janine Turner and Professor Gordon Lloyd of Pepperdine University.

It has 13 stars on a blue background and 13 stripes of alternating red and white. Our country's first flag was a rallying symbol during the American Revolution. But what do you know about the woman who made the flag, Betsy Ross? A devout Quaker, she was a young widow when her late husband's uncle, Declaration of Independence signer George Ross, tasked her with making the flag. On National Flag Day, Constituting America proudly presents a conversation with Betsy Ross, skillfully played by Kim Hanley with the American Historical Theater. Join our panel for this one-of-a-kind living history discussion!

In four years we will celebrate the biggest birthday our country has ever seen. In fact, planning for this birthday celebration began in 2016! That year, President Obama signed into law H.R. 4875, legislation which formally created the United States Semiquincentennial Commission to plan the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Constituting America co-founder Cathy Gillespie is proud to be 1 of the 16 private citizen members of the commission! Join our student panel as we welcome Joe Daniels, President and CEO of the America 250 Foundation for this discussion on how we will celebrate our country's milestone birthday in four years!

During election cycles Americans often debate the value of the Electoral College. Not every citizen understands why the Founders created it, how it works today, and why it is so important to the stability of our Nation. Mr. Maibach traces its origin to the Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787. The Electoral College was a compromise between the 9 small states and the 4 most populous states when they met in Philadelphia. The Electoral College is designed so that citizens of each state vote for their choice for President, and the aggregation of the Electoral votes of all the states decides the winner. Join our student panel and our special guest, Michael Maibach of Save our States, for a discussion about this unique American electoral process, and how it compares to how other republics around the world select their heads of government. These stories will engage and may surprise the viewer.

Madison defined it in Federalist No. 10. George Washington cautioned against it in his Farewell Address. What we call partisanship today, the Founders called faction. And they were concerned with its prevalence in politics. In their desire to create a government that featured reason over passion, the Founders were acutely aware of the negative effects faction brings. What can we do about it? Join our panel and guest William Morrisey, Professor Emeritus at Hillsdale College, for this discussion in partisanship and faction.

Imagine this. You are designing a new country and have a coin in your hand to flip. One side is anarchy and the other is tyranny. What do you do? You flip the coin and try to get it to land on its side. This is what our Founders were aiming for when creating our country. We are happy to have Professor Gordon Lloyd of Pepperdine University with our student panel as we discuss everything from the whigs and worries, bi-annual vs annual elections, how order falls into tyranny and liberty falls into anarchy, Socrates, the Athenian assembly, and virtue. Join us as we unpack a lot in this insightful discussion!

Have you ever thought about our Constitution as a practical exercise in governance rather than an academic exercise? What that means is the Constitution addresses real problems accounting for human nature rather than viewing men through a utopian lens as virtuous "angels." In Federalist 51, Madison tells us "if men were angels, no government would be necessary." Join our panel and Professor Joerg Knipprath as we explore how the Founders were realists who dealt with real people and real problems. Thank you to this week's sponsor: Bob DeMartino of History Salvaged

The Roman Empire, at its peak, spread from the Persian Gulf to England and encompassed all of the land adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea. How could an empire so large and powerful ultimately fall? What lessons from the Empire's fall did our Framers recognize to influence the structure of our own country? According to our guest, Professor Joerg Knipprath of Southwestern Law School, one of the reasons for Rome's fall was that it simply got too big to govern itself. For a deeper explanation, join Professor Knipprath and our panel as he dives into the governmental structures of the Roman Empire.

How did two 17th century European philosophers shape the various systems of government we see worldwide? Thomas Hobbes believed stability relied on a "Leviathan" government, an all powerful state to maintain order. John Locke wrote about unalienable rights and the role of government in protecting those rights. Authoritative countries like Russia, China and North Korea follow the "Leviathan" model while democracies and republics follow Locke. While the United States is not the world's first republic, our Founders studied the Greeks, the Romans and Italian city-states like Venice to avoid the failures that brought down past republics and democracies. Join our student panel and guest expert, Dr. Joseph Loconte with the Heritage Foundation, for this informative dive into dictators, authoritarian regimes and the role "freedom of conscience" plays in resisting both systems.

When you think of a monarch, what comes to mind? Castles, moats and leading an entire country? Perhaps pomp and circumstance and a fancy throne? Have you ever thought about monarchies as perhaps the original form of government? In this chat with Professor Joerg Knipprath, our panel discusses the pros and cons of monarchies, how they can devolve into tyranny and how our Framers studied past civilizations in creating our country to avoid the pitfalls of monarchies.

Did you know the ancient Athenian Democracy was a pure democracy in that citizens directly voted rather than through representatives? However, only a few people, around 10,000, earned the title of "citizen." The Founders of our country studied this and recognized the perils of the Athenian Democracy and other past regimes and democracies. By studying history, they navigated these pitfalls in establishing our country as a republic. Join our student panel and special guest, Dr. Christoper Burkett with Ashland University as we explore the three major problems in the Athenian Democracy and how the Founding Fathers structured solutions in our republic.

We all know of famous treaties that ended wars such as the Treaty of Paris that ended the American Revolution or the Treaty of Versailles which brought peace between Allied Powers and Germany at the end of World War I. You've also heard of international agreements between sovereign countries like the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, better known as the Iran Nuclear Deal. Besides knowing that treaties and international agreements both exist between nations, what are the other commonalities and differences between the two? One has senate approval and carries the full weight of law and the other doesn't require senate input and can be rescinded by subsequent administrations. Join our student panel and constitutional expert, Dr. Eric R. Mandel, Executive Director at the Middle East Political and Information Network, for this discussion on Treaties and the Constitution!

War. We've all seen footage from war zones on the nightly news and most recently the tragic images from Ukraine. Did you know Congress has not actually declared war since World War II? How has the use of military force been authorized since then? What is the War Powers Act and how has it been applied? What does the Constitution say about this? What were the differing views from the Founders on war, specifically the differences between Hamilton on one side and Jefferson and Washington on the other? And how is all of this highly relevant in today's heightened geo-political landscape? For all of these answers, please join our special guest, Andrew Langer with the Institute for Liberty and our student panel as we discuss this salient topic.

Have you thought about the Declaration of Independence as a foreign policy document? Or have you thought the same about Washington's Farewell Address? Well they certainly are! The Declaration outlined our case for independence from another country and in itself is a statement on universal principles that were the cornerstone for our new country. Washington's Farewell Address cautioned against "international friendships of dubious value." The Founders put an emphasis on prudence as a classical virtue, echoing Aristotle. According to our special guest, this caution was woven into our approach to foreign policy, especially as a fledgling nation surrounded by hostile powers. Join our guest, Dr. Matthew Spaulding with Hillsdale College and our panel for this insightful discussion on the origins of the United State's foreign policy.

How much do you actually know about bitcoin? You've undoubtedly heard about it and people becoming wealthy because of it. But what do you actually know about what it is and what gives it value? Bitcoin is described as the world's first decentralized digital currency but it is neither the first digital currency nor the first decentralized currency. Join our special guest, Brandon Vanderford, Adjunct Assistant Clinical Professor of Economics at the University of Texas at Arlington and our panel as we dive into bitcoin, what it has in common with the ancient Rai stones of Micronesia and why it's called Gold 2.0.

Trade. Trade Wars. Economic Sanctions. Tariffs. These are terms you hear nightly on the evening news but what are they? The Founding Fathers saw a need for our country to regulate international commerce–both leaving and coming into our country–as a tool to protect and advance our country's interests. One of the tools they gave Congress is the power to levy a tariff, or a tax on an imported item. But who bears the burden on that tax, the country sending that good or the country importing it? Our guest argues empirical evidence overwhelmingly shows the importer bears that burden so tariffs seldom punish trading partners but rather the consumer. Join our guest, Christine McDaniel, Senior Fellow with the Mercatus Center, and our panel for this insight into economic policies behind the goods we buy and sell.

The deficit. The debt. What are they and aren't they the same thing? To be concise, the debt is the total of the yearly deficit our country runs yearly between tax revenue and debt and no, they are not the same thing. Did you know the President is supposed to submit a budget to congress to approve? Instead, Congress tends to pass short-term spending bills that more often than not are politically motivated. And what is the result of that? Over the last 62 years, we have had a national deficit for 58 of those years and a surplus, when tax revenue is higher than spending, only 4 of those years? We have so much debt right now that we currently spend 7% of our annual spending just to pay the interest on the the total debt our country holds. Join our panel and special guest, Dr. Ivan Pongracic from Hillsdale College and we further examine the effects of continued deficit spending.

What is our national debt? How much is it and why does our government continue to spend money it does not have? How is it different than our deficit? Whatever our government spends has to be paid back, eventually, through either increased taxation or increasing our debt load. Knowing that, in what way does debt misrepresent the size and price of our government? These questions and many others will be discussed by our panel and Dr. Gary Wolfram, Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Hillsdale College. Join us for this conversation on our national debt.