
THE CONSTITUTION STUDY
128 episodes — Page 1 of 3
Are the consequences commensurate with the crimes?
The wheels on the country are coming off
Understanding the news means reading beyond the headlines
Government making things worse
The Federal government is still being weaponized under Trump
Consent of the governed
“A good prosecutor can indict a ham sandwich.” What about James Comey?
Search warrants gone wrong
Strike three on Trump’s life!
Virginia is for lovers of tyrants
What is the source of all this government weaponization?
‘One big bunch of thieves’ corrupt Congress
Taking back our country
The illusion of democracy and the death of freedom
The voter’s reckoning
Playing “whack-a-mole” with the Constitution
Sex scandals and fraud running through Congress
No government program goes unpunished
What is the honest state of our elections?
The Charlie Brown nation
News Overload! Immigrants, arms, and incompetence
The rule of law has been replaced by the rule of judge
Constitutional illiteracy is undermining America
About those two guarantees in the world: death and taxes
Los Angelenos would rather be servants than masters
Making my head explode
Regulatory failure or violation of our rights?
Finding ethics in Washington
Another game of playing chicken
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – Just look at the game of chicken that members of Congress have been playing with DHS funding for the past month and a half. However, unlike with cars, it’s not the politicians who are suffering the consequences, but the American people. Then there are the cities that keep playing chicken with the violent protesters. Especially when politicians refuse...
When the lines blur on freedom of speech and press
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – The first five words of the First Amendment are, “Congress shall make no law…”, that means that the First Amendment only applies to the federal government. And no, contrary to what the Supreme Court has said, the Fourteenth Amendment did not rewrite the First. So if freedom of speech and press are so important, what are we doing to...
Complaining about Congress? You get what you vote for
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – Unhappy with the DHS shutdown? Offended that workers at the TSA, FEMA, and Coast Guard are being forced to work without pay while members of Congress, who caused this mess, still get their paycheck? Remember, when you voted for your member of Congress, personally or not, collectively we hired them; they are our employees...
Teaching the rising generation
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – I warn that freedom stands one generation from extinction and argue it is our duty to teach it. I criticize government schools, political overreach, and unchecked power, urging Americans to study the Constitution, defend liberty, and raise children who understand their rights before those freedoms vanish in our nation today...
I guess crime really can pay
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – Crime appears to reward bad behavior when enforcement fails. Police actions avoid scrutiny under qualified immunity, repeat offenders face minimal consequences, and fraudsters walk away with fines. Citizens, as sovereign, keep reelecting those responsible. The cycle continues, raising urgent questions about accountability, justice, and whether consequences truly exist in today’s system...
Who holds the gavel accountable?
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – What happens in the courts does not stay in the courts. We the People most often exercise our right to petition the government for a redress of grievances in the courts. But how often do we check in and see how they are doing? Did you know that the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case that will...
States fighting back against Washington
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – Read the Constitution, and you’ll see that the states created the federal government, not the other way around. Washington, D.C., has forgotten that critical fact, and so have our states. However, there are still those working within our states to restore them as overseers of the government of the United States. Here in Tennessee, the Volunteer...
The SAVE Act dilemma: Federal has no authority over state election roles
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – The U.S. Senate is debating the SAVE Act. But half of the act is unconstitutional. Congress can adjust the time, place, and manner of elections, but only for the U.S. House and Senate. The SAVE Act claims to tell the states someone must be a citizen of the US to register to vote, even though each of the fifty states already has that requirement...
When branches clash: Who really holds power?
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – I explore the balance of power among the three branches of the federal government, examining conflicts between executive authority and judicial rulings, questions about enforcing court orders, and how the Constitution shapes disputes when presidential actions and delegated powers face legal challenges in modern governance and constitutional interpretation debates...
We the People vs. the government
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – This piece explores the tension between citizens and the government meant to serve them. It questions what happens when public servants overreach, challenge constitutional limits, and pursue conflicting agendas. It also considers the responsibility of the American people to hold leaders accountable and preserve the integrity of a constitutional republic...
The primary duty of government confuses millions of Americans
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – Think of how many recent decisions in the District Court were most likely based on an attempt to protect the American people from the so-called evil Donald Trump. How many rights have been trampled in these judges' attempts to protect us from their caricature of the current president? How many government agencies have been created...
Trusting government is a fool’s errand
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – Lucy pulls the ball away at the last moment, and Charlie Brown falls flat on his back. I think that’s a great metaphor for the American people. We keep trusting government actors to do the right thing, only to find ourselves flat on our backs, our wallets emptied, and in pain caused by government policies.
How can we tell the truth from a lie?
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – Are you aware that not only have members of Congress settled sexual misconduct allegations with hush money, but that millions of taxpayer dollars were used? If you watch Senate Minority Leader Schumer’s rant about the SAVE Act, could you spot the lies? What about the lie in Maine when they put a convicted mail sexual predator in a women’s prison?
The consequences of political rhetoric
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – We’ve all heard Newton’s Third Law of Motion: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. But what about the rest of life? In life, for every action there is a reaction, a consequence, but they are not always equal or opposite. Cities like Boston and states like California take action to implement high taxes and...
Nothing to see here: How politicians distract the public
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – Politicians and public officials deflect attention from uncomfortable issues, urging people to believe there is “nothing to see.” From election controversies to protests, congressional debates, and bizarre government programs, these moments reveal how distraction, messaging, and political theater often replace accountability when embarrassing problems or contradictions come into...
Why trusting the government to fix our problems rarely, if ever, works
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – It seems just about every time we expect the government to take care of things for us, it turns into an abject failure. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me 10,000 times, and I’m probably an American voter. Ronald Reagan famously said that the nine most terrifying words in the English language are “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”
Hiring feckless actors in government
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – The House Oversight Committee has been busy lately, subpoenaing Attorney General Pam Bondi and issuing reports about Minnesota Governor Walz and Attorney General Ellison, not only knowing about the fraud in their state, but covering it up. What are those in Congress gonna do? Looks like nothing. Republicans in Congress have been promoting the SAVE Act...
Legal maneuvering or search for justice?
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – We live in a litigious society. However, what we sometimes find in our judicial system is more legal maneuvering than a search for justice. The Supreme Court said courts should defer to the decisions of so-called immigration courts. I say “so-called” immigration courts because they are not Article III courts but rather departments within the...
AI can’t protect your rights; only you can
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – Are you prepared to defend your rights? Or are you like a growing number of Americans who are trusting Artificial Intelligence for legal and medical advice? Are you willing to trust your life, or the life of your neighbors, to an autonomous vehicle? Will you let medical associations that have shown themselves to be more and more political determine your health?
The Supreme Court has been busy
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – The Supreme Court moves into the decision-heavy phase of its term, bringing key rulings and notable oral arguments into focus. Two stories involving state Attorneys General highlight the importance of watching state-level officials, while updates on the conflict in Iran add broader international context to today’s discussion...
Did Trump have the legal authority to initiate this military engagement?
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – Some claim this is war, others just another military attack. While I’m not here to debate the moral aspects of this action, the constitutional issues are up for grabs here. Did Donald Trump, as President of the United States, have the legal authority to initiate this military engagement? Are we prepared, both in the...
The lesson of humility
The Constitution Study with Host Paul Engel – There’s a parable in the Gospels that reminds us that if we are not humble, we’re likely to be taken down a notch or two. Not only do I think that’s a good lesson in general, I think it’s especially important in today’s climate. Are you familiar with the gospel story of finding a seat at a banquet? Jesus said we should not assume we...