New changes to the Senate present a striking change to congressional power. Article Two, Section Two, Clause Two. “Provided two-thirds of the Senate concur, the President shall appoint Officers of the United States.” This is a constitutional clause dictating that the Senate must have a supermajority to confirm Presidential nominations to the Bureaucracy. However, it […]
Tag: Constitution
The Right to Bear Arms…
…Shall not be infringed. While to most, that line seems pretty straightforward, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham lacks this basic understanding. On September 8, 2023, Governor Grisham announced a firearms order that essentially banned guns for 30 days in sections of New Mexico. While the order has since been scaled back after significant bipartisan […]
Is Impartiality in the Supreme Court Possible?
A few weeks after the Supreme Court was under fire for refusing to block a controversial Texas abortion law that jeopardizes the precedent set by the landmark case Roe v. Wade, Justice Amy Coney Barrett publicly defended the court’s inaction. At a Kentucky conference hosted by Republicans, Barrett argued that the Supreme Court is not […]
The Case for D.C. Statehood
On January 6, as violent Trump supporters attacked the Capitol building in an act of insurrection against the results of the recent presidential election, Capitol police quickly became overwhelmed. The rioters, armed with semi-automatic weapons, pipe bombs, and molotov cocktails, held the Capitol and members of Congress hostage for over three hours. The event led […]
The Constitutional Dimension of “One Country, Two Systems:” The Interpretation of the Basic Law by Beijing
(This piece is inspired by a podcast episode produced by UPenn Center for the Study of Contemporary China, where Prof. Johannes Chan from HKU Faculty of Law discusses the rule of law in Hong Kong.) China’s resumption of the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong is a historical political experiment, and one challenge is to […]
Political Innovation: Taking a Page from the Business Playbook
We live in a world marred by uncertainty. Each day it seems that more and more crises are coming to the fore: incoming climate disaster, rampant xenophobia, growing economic discontent. Yet the approach by many political leaders to this rapidly-changing environment is the same as it has been for decades: maintain stability, keep law and […]
Policy Shootout: Georgia Versus Delta Airlines
Corporations have followed the lead of social activists in the nationwide movement calling for greater gun control in the wake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, instituting anti-NRA and anti-gun policies. Delta Airlines, in particular, has raised headlines recently. “You’ve got to stand up for what you believe in” said […]
Renewing and Rewriting Our Vows to the Constitution
America loves the Constitution. The centuries old parchment captivates the reverence of every demographic: from Democrats to Republicans and Socialists to Tea-Partiers. Newly naturalized citizens and members of our highest offices alike swear allegiance to the document; junior high students memorize its beloved framers and many amendments. Iconic phrases such as “We the People” create […]
The Text of Texas
Moses had influence over the constitution of the United States— at least that is what students are being taught in Texas. The social studies textbooks being used in Texas were recently evaluated by a group of history scholars and were judged to be full of “religious and conservative biases that… distort history”. The resultant biases […]