CONSTITUTIONOMICS Welcome!!!. CONSTITUTIONOMICS Welcome!!! What is “Constitutionomics”?

CONSTITUTIONOMICS

Welcome!!!

CONSTITUTIONOMICS

Welcome!!! What is

“Constitutionomics”?

CONSTITUTIONOMICS

A Seminar About The United States

Constitution and Economics

CONSTITUTIONOMICS

The United States Constitution Provides a Framework of Limited Government in which Free Enterprise Can Thrive.

CONSTITUTIONOMICS

It is this System of Free Enterprise, or Free Markets, that in just a few short years made America the Greatest Nation in the History of the World.

CONSTITUTIONOMICS

Today, we are going to discuss how FREEDOM is interrelated with PROSPERITY.

CONSTITUTIONOMICS

FREEDOM is Important for the Sake of Freedom Itself.

CONSTITUTIONOMICS

We All Want to be Free to Go Where We Want to Go, Do What We Want to Do, Say What We Want to Say, And Decide Who We Go With.

CONSTITUTIONOMICS

We All Want to be Free to ….

CONSTITUTIONOMICS

We All Want to be Free to ….

CHOOSE!!!

CONSTITUTIONOMICS

When People are also Free to Invest their Time, their Talent, and their Treasure into a Business Venture, the Whole Country Prospers even though some of the Ventures Fail.

CONSTITUTIONOMICS

It is The Constitution of the United States that has Provided not only the Personal Freedoms We Cherish;

But also a Climate Where People Can Invest in Business With a High Chance of Succeeding.

CONSTITUTIONOMICS

“The chief business of the American people is business.” --Calvin Coolidge

CONSTITUTIONOMICS Regarding Coolidge: "No public man carried into modern

times more comprehensively the founding principles of Americanism: hard work, frugality, freedom of conscience, freedom from government, respect for serious culture." Paul Johnson, A History of the American People

CONSTITUTIONOMICS

When the Constitution is Violated; Personal Freedoms are Diminished

And Opportunities for Investment and Entrepreneurship Dry Up, and

the Whole Country Suffers.

CONSTITUTIONOMICS

My Part Today is to Teach the Principles upon which our Nation (or Nations) was built, as Embodied in the United States Constitution.

PART 1

THE WISDOM OF THE AGES AND ORIGINAL INTENT


The Only Way to Understand What Our Founders Intended as they Composed the Constitution is to Read What They Read, and What They Said.


Today, It is sadly Fashionable to Denigrate the Founders …

Let’s Talk About That


Today, It is sadly Fashionable to Denigrate the Founders …

Let’s Talk About That Our Founders Were Experts on

History and Human Nature


Our Founders Were Experts on History and Human Nature

What Did Our Founders Believe About Government?

THE WISDOM OF THE AGES

Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.

George Washington


Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.

Thomas Jefferson


There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.

John Adams


It is proper to take alarm at the first experiment on our liberties. We hold this prudent jealousy to be the first duty of citizens, and one of the noblest characteristics of the late Revolution.

The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted.

James Madison


Where an excess of power prevails, property of no sort is duly respected. No man is safe in his opinions, his person, his faculties, or his possessions.

Wherever there is interest and power to do wrong, wrong will generally be done.

James Madison


The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse.

Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of freedoms of the people by gradual and silent encroachment of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.

James Madison


Good intentions will always be pleaded for any assumption of power. The Constitution was made to safeguard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters.

Daniel Webster (not exactly a founder… I know :-)

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES – ORIGINAL INTENT

What Is It?


What Is It? It Is a Binding Legal Agreement

(Contract)



(Contract) The Parties Are The Separate States, The

People in Those States, Their Descendants and the Newly Re-Created United States Government


What Is It? It Is a Contract

The Parties Are The Separate States, The People in Those States, Their Descendants and the Newly Re-Created United States Government

Our Founders Created a “General” Government to Handle Only a Few Areas that the States Could Not Reasonably Manage



Our Founders Created a “General” Government to Handle Only a Few Areas that the States Could Not Reasonably Manage

They Created a Government of the States, by the States, and for the States



They Created a Government of the States, by the States, and for the States

They created a Government to Serve Them. They would never have intended to Create a Government to Dictate to Them.



The Parties Are The Separate States, The People in Those States, and the Newly Re-Created United States Government

What Does a Legal Agreement Mean? It Means What the Parties to the

Agreement Meant for It to Mean at the Time that They Agreed to It.


What Does It Mean?


What Does It Mean? What Did the Parties Mean for It to

Mean?



Mean? To Form a “More Perfect Union”



Mean? To Form a “More Perfect Union” More Perfect Than What?



Mean? To Form a “More Perfect Union” More Perfect Than What? More Perfect Than Our First Constitution



Mean? To Form a “More Perfect Union” More Perfect Than What? More Perfect Than Our First Constitution A Stronger Alliance of Independent

Nation-States



Mean? To Form a “More Perfect Union” A Stronger Alliance of Independent

Nation-States The Declaration of Independence, The

Articles of Confederation, The Treaty of Paris and The United States Constitution refer to the “States,” often by name.


What Does It Mean? What Did the Parties Mean for It to Mean?

To Form a “More Perfect Union” A Stronger Alliance of Independent Nation-States

The Declaration of Independence, The Articles of Confederation, The Treaty of Paris and The United States Constitution refer to the “States,” often by name.

“United States” was intended to be Plural and is used that way every time in these documents.



Mean? To Form a “More Perfect Union” More Perfect Than What? More Perfect Than Our First Constitution A Stronger Alliance of Independent

Nation-States Stronger, but Strictly Limited (Cabined)


How Do We Know That It Was To Be Strictly Limited? Internal Evidence (The Text of the

Constitution)



Constitution) External Evidence (The Ratifying

Documents, Comments of the Writers, Other Underlying Documents)



Constitution) Article I, Section 1, Clause 1 (1.1.1 in the

Modern Version): “All legislative Powers herein granted…”



Constitution) “All legislative Powers herein granted…”

“Powers” are delegated authority.




“Powers” are delegated authority. The “Authorities” are the People.




“Powers” are delegated authority. The “Authorities” are the People. Only People are ever said to have “Rights.”




“Powers” are delegated authority. The “Authorities” are the People. Only People are ever said to have “Rights.” Rights are “unalienable” (Given by God).


How Do We Know That It Was To Be Strictly Limited? Internal Evidence (The Text of the Constitution) “All legislative Powers herein granted…”

“Powers” are delegated authority. The “Authorities” are the People. Only People are ever said to have “Rights.” Rights are “unalienable” (Given by God). Governments are NEVER said to have Rights.



Constitution) Article I, Section 1, Clause 1 (1.1.1 in the

Modern Version): “All legislative Powers herein granted…”

Article I, Section 8: “The Enumerated Powers” Why Number Them if They are to be Unlimited?



Constitution) Article I, Section 1, Clause 1: “herein

granted” Article I, Section 8: “The Enumerated Powers” 1.8.18: “…necessary and proper for carrying

into Execution the foregoing Powers…”



Constitution) Article I, Section 1, Clause 1: “herein granted” Article I, Section 8: “The Enumerated Powers” 1.8.18: “…the foregoing Powers…” Article 6, Section2: “This Constitution, and the

Laws… made in Pursuance thereof… shall be the supreme Law of the Land…



Constitution) Article I, Section 1, Clause 1: “herein granted” Article I, Section 8: “The Enumerated Powers” 1.8.18: “…the foregoing Powers…” Article 6, Section2: “Laws… in Pursuance

thereof” 10th Amendment



Constitution) External Evidence (The Ratifying

Documents, Comments of the Writers, Other Underlying Documents)


How Do We Know That It Was To Be Strictly Limited? External Evidence (The Ratifying

Documents, Comments of the Writers, Other Underlying Documents) Notes of the Convention



Documents, Comments of the Writers, Other Underlying Documents) Notes of the Convention Federalist Papers



Documents, Comments of the Writers, Other Underlying Documents) Notes of the Convention Federalist Papers Anti-Federalist Papers



Documents, Comments of the Writers, Other Underlying Documents) Notes of the Convention Federalist Papers Anti-Federalist Papers Ratifying Documents


The powers dedicated to the proposed government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the state governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation and foreign commerce… The powers reserved to the several states will extend to all the objects which , in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties and prosperities of the people, and the internal order and improvement of the states.

James Madison Federalist, No. 45


Summary The Constitution is a Contract or

Agreement that bound together 13 (now 50) sovereign Nation-States in a mutual defense pact like NATO, and a free-trade zone like EEC or NAFTA ( A More Perfect Union).


Summary The Constitution is a Contract or

Agreement that bound together 13 (now 50) sovereign Nation-States in a mutual defense pact like NATO, and a free-trade zone like EEC or NAFTA ( A More Perfect Union).

Why is it Important to Limit the Government to this Contract?


The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first.

Thomas Jefferson End Part 1

CONSTITUTIONOMICS Welcome!!!. CONSTITUTIONOMICS Welcome!!! What is “Constitutionomics”?

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