James Madison’s Constitution Two-Step
Writing in his famous Report of 1800, James Madison argued that the Alien and Sedition Acts clearly violated the Constitution. Why? Because they failed a basic two-question test.
Anti-Commandeering: James Madison’s Advice Put into Practice
To stop federal acts, James Madison recommended a “refusal to cooperate with officers of the Union.” Over 170 years of supreme court precedent supports this strategy too.
Why the Tenth Amendment Matters More than Ever
It’s important to remember that words on parchment don’t enforce themselves. Just because we say the federal government is limited doesn’t mean it will stay limited.
What James Madison did not Advise to Stop Federal Power
To stop the feds, people generally try three things. “Vote the bums out,” sue in federal court, or demand Congress repeal the law they passed in the first place. But if you want to succeed, you should do something else.
The Founders and the “Dog of War”
The founders didn’t trust the executive branch to exercise complete power over war.
James Madison: Federal “Infrastructure” Spending is Unconstitutional
In 1817, James Madison vetoed a federal infrastructure spending bill on the grounds that the federal government had no such power under the constitution.
James Madison Warned Us
When we allow the federal government to exercise undelegated powers for “good things,” it also opens the door for it to do “bad things.” James Madison warned us about this. The issue was federal authority to build roads and canals, or more generally to fund “internal improvements.” Madison insisted the federal government lacked the constitutional…
James Madison on “Parchment Barriers”
Even the “Father of the Constitution” knew that a separation of powers wouldn’t be enough to limit the federal government.
Executive Power under the Constitution
People often say they want a strong president who can get things done. But that’s pretty much the exact opposite of what the founding fathers set up under the Constitution.
The “Commerce Clause” in 2 Minutes
Supporters of the monster state want you to believe the feds can do just about anything they want under the commerce clause.