This week at Montpelier, Will hs spoken often of constitutional questions. These inquiries may be said not to have answers; that is, they offer such quality that they move beyond knowledge. By asking ourselves these questions, we engage in a process which can replicate the very substance of democracy. I got to thinking about this, [...]
Posts from ‘June, 2008’
Campaign 2008 in the Box
Sparking curiosity and provoking puzzled stares, Professor Harris proposed his model of Federalist and Antifederalist thinking provides a useful lens for understanding this year’s presidential candidates. Those of us who want to draw a straight line to match today’s political parties to the Federalist and Antifederalist perspectives were baffled. How in the world did Hillary [...]
Constitutional Teaching
As Professor Harris delivered his final remarks, he provided a copy of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. He in fact provided five copies of it. There’s the text presented as a single paragraph as you’ve seen on posters or at the back of the textbook. There are then two versions of separating key components [...]
Constitutional Citizens Chat
At the Center for the Constitution at Madison’s Montpelier, we’ve reached the end of Week One. This is a week long seminar for American teachers who have worked hard to dig deep into Madison’s ideas about constitution making. It was a big finish too. Noah Pickus, author of True Faith and Allegiance, asked participants to [...]
The American People and an Incredible Machine
With gadget fans across the country talking about the new 3G iPhone, it’s hard to argue about the innovative spirit of the American people. It’s a fact. We love our machines whether they’re speeding down the highways or probing the surface of Mars. I wonder, however, if there’s more to this particular characteristic of the [...]
