Essay Schedule 90-Day Study 2019

Constituting America’s Ninth 90-Day Study on State and Local Government

Preface: The Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution reads, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.” The amendment’s purpose is intended to strengthen the Founders’ resolve that each American maintains ownership of the United States government on every level, and to which each entrusts a position of leadership among its elected. In this way, the American people remain free to govern themselves through leaders they choose. The U.S. Constitution, Federalist Papers among other founding discussions, displays how the smaller governing bodies magnify local control each American citizen must keep. This control within agreed upon, respective state constitutions ensures governing remains surrendered to the American people and not surrendered by the American people to an unreachable federal level that cannot be checked or replaced by each citizen who put it there. The 2019 Constituting America 90 Day Study on State and Local Government expounds upon the gravity of that which makes America thrive due to strict limits of its federal governing powers, directing attention to the true holders of America’s power, her people, and consent of the governed that results in a flourishing United States.

Condensed Table of Contents

• Introduction
• States and Their Constitutions: History Surrounding Admission of Each New State to the Union
  • First States – The Thirteen Original Colonies After the American Revolutionary War and Constitutional Convention (1787)
  • New States and the American Industrial Revolution (1791)
  • Westward Expansion (1803)
  • Admission of States, and the Civil War (1861-1865)
• A Growing United States to World War I (1914-1918), the Great Depression and New Deal to the Gulf War (1990-1991)
• Statewide Leadership and Representation
• County and City Leadership, and Representation
• Judges: State, County and City Judiciary
• Funding State and Local Government
• Elections: State, County and City
• Contemporary Issues in State and Local Government
• Conclusion

Detailed Table of Contents With Links to Essays as They Are Published

Essay 1 – Introduction – History and constitutional background of American Founders’ and Framers’ views on local governments for a strong, free, prosperous United States.

• Federalism: New Horizons For A Time-Honored Governing Principle by Lisa B. Nelson, Chief Executive Officer, American Legislative Exchange Council and Karla Jones, Director, Center to Restore the Balance of Government, American Legislative Exchange Council Center on Federalism

Essay 2 – Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution – Purpose for limited federal powers and what the amendment means for state and local government; Bill of Rights as “a Line drawn as clearly as may be between the federal Powers vested in Congress and the distinct Sovereignty of the several States upon which the private and personal Rights of the Citizens depend.” – Samuel Adams

• Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution: Purpose for Limited Federal Powers, Meaning for State and Local Government by Patrick Garry, Professor of Law, University of South Dakota

Essay 3 – Federalism and the Tenth Amendment: The Buttress of Our Republic

• Federalism and the Tenth Amendment: The Buttress of Our Republic by Andrew Langer, President of the Institute for Liberty and Host of the Andrew Langer Show on WBAL in Baltimore

Essay 4 – Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution: A Firm and Clear Boundary Between the States and the Congress

• Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution: A Firm and Clear Boundary Between the States and the Congress by Joerg Knipprath, Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School; Constituting America Fellow

Essay 5 – Federalist 45 on Connection of the States to the Federal Level – “…each of the principal branches of the federal government will owe its existence more or less to the favor of the State governments, and must consequently feel a dependence, which is much more likely to beget a disposition too obsequious than too overbearing towards them.” – James Madison

• Relation of the Federal Government to the State Governments: What Does Publius Say? by William Morrisey, William and Patricia LaMothe Chair in the United States Constitution, Hillsdale College; Constituting America Fellow; Author, Self-Government, The American Theme: Presidents of the Founding Civil War; and The Dilemma of Progressivism: How Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson Reshaped the American Regime of Self-Government

States and Their Constitutions: History Surrounding Admission of Each New State to the Union

Essay 6 – American Revolution and Expanding the States – How the American Revolution and nationhood voided the Proclamation Line of 1763, allowing expansion for American settlement of the Western frontier.

• American Revolution and Expanding the States by Craig Bruce Smith, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of History, William Woods University

Essay 7 – Free, Independent, and Sovereign? – The Declaration of Independence on free, independent, sovereign states as the original 13 colonies came together to form the United States; what this meant for state powers and the growing nation as a whole.

• Free, Independent and Sovereign? by William Morrisey, William and Patricia LaMothe Chair in the United States Constitution, Hillsdale College; Constituting America Fellow; Author, Self-Government, The American Theme: Presidents of the Founding Civil War; and The Dilemma of Progressivism: How Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson Reshaped the American Regime of Self-Government
  

Essay 8 – Free and Independent: The States’ Declaration and the Articles of Confederation – The Declaration of Independence on free, independent, sovereign states as the original 13 colonies came together to form the United States; what this meant for state powers and the growing nation as a whole.

• Free and Independent: The States’ Declaration and the Articles of Confederation by Jennie Jones, Assistant Professor, American Government and History, Weatherford College

Essay 9 – Greatest Power: Each State’s Obligation to Keep Its Creation of National Government in Check (Part 1)

• Greatest Power: Each State’s Obligation to Keep Its Creation of National Government in Check (Part 1) by KrisAnne Hall, U.S. Army Veteran; Former Prosecutor and First Amendment Law Attorney; Founder of LibertyFirstUniversity.com; Author

Essay 10 – Greatest Power: Each State’s Obligation to Keep Its Creation of National Government in Check (Part 2)

• Greatest Power: Each State’s Obligation to Keep Its Creation of National Government in Check (Part 2) by KrisAnne Hall, U.S. Army Veteran; Former Prosecutor and First Amendment Law Attorney; Founder of LibertyFirstUniversity.com; Author

Essay 11 – Religious Freedom and Early State Constitutions (Part 1) – Meaning of, and how early state constitutions worked regarding religious freedom and the First Amendment.

• Religious Freedom and Role of the States in Their Own Early Constitutions (Part 1) by Joerg Knipprath, Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School; Constituting America Fellow

Essay 12 – Religious Freedom and Early State Constitutions (Part 2)

• Religious Freedom and Role of the States in Their Own Early Constitutions (Part 2) by Joerg Knipprath, Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School; Constituting America Fellow

Essay 13 – Fundamental Law and Natural Rights: The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom

• Fundamental Law and Natural Rights: The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom by Tony Williams, Author of five books including Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance that Forged America; Senior Teaching Fellow, Bill of Rights Institute; Constituting America Fellow

Essay 14 – Disestablishment, Christianity, and Religious Liberty in Virginia

• Disestablishment, Christianity, and Religious Liberty in Virginia by Archie P. Jones, Teacher, Librarian, Author of The Gateway to Liberty: The Constitutional Power of the Tenth Amendment

Essay 15 – Religious Freedom and Disestablishment in North Carolina, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire

• Religious Freedom and Disestablishment in North Carolina, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire by Archie P. Jones, Teacher, Librarian, Author of The Gateway to Liberty: The Constitutional Power of the Tenth Amendment

Essay 16 – Remaining Early States’ History of Religious Freedom and Disestablishment: South Carolina, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Georgia, Rhode Island

• Remaining Early States’ History of Religious Freedom and Disestablishment: South Carolina, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Georgia, Rhode Island by Archie P. Jones, Teacher, Librarian, Author of The Gateway to Liberty: The Constitutional Power of the Tenth Amendment

Essay 17 – Religious Freedom Since the First Amendment and Early State Constitutions

• Religious Freedom Since the First Amendment and Early State Constitutions by Marc Clauson, Professor of History and Political Economy, Professor in Honors, Cedarville University

Essay 18 – State Constitutions? – Why would each state need a constitution when we have the United States Constitution? What it would mean for the states to be run by their citizens rather than royal rule

• The Peoples of our Early States: Not “One People” by Archie P. Jones, Teacher, Librarian, Author of The Gateway to Liberty: The Constitutional Power of the Tenth Amendment

Essay 19 – Our First States’ Constitutions, Declarations of Rights and Bills of Rights vs. “The Liberal History Lesson”

Our First States’ Constitutions, Declarations of Rights and Bills of Rights vs. The Liberal History Lesson by Archie P. Jones, Teacher, Librarian, Author of The Gateway to Liberty: The Constitutional Power of the Tenth Amendment

Essay 20 – State Constitutions? Why Would Each State Need Its Own Constitution? (Part 1)

• State Constitutions? Why Would Each State Need Its Own Constitution? (Part 1) by Marc Clauson, Professor of History and Political Economy, Professor in Honors, Cedarville University

Essay 21 – State Constitutions? Why Would Each State Need Its Own Constitution? (Part 2)

• State Constitutions? Why Would Each State Need Its Own Constitution? (Part 2) by Gary Porter, Executive Director, Constitution Leadership Initiative

Essay 22 – Words Have Consequences: Amending the United States Constitution and State Constitutions

• Words Have Consequences: Amending the United States Constitution and State Constitutions by Amanda Hughes, Outreach Director, 90 Day Study Director, Constituting America; Author of Who Wants to Be Free?

 First States – The Thirteen Original Colonies After the American Revolutionary War and Constitutional Convention (1787)

Essay 23 – Delaware: Admitted as “The First State” December 7, 1787

1 – Delaware – December 7, 1787 – As the Constitutional Convention came to a close in Philadelphia, America’s founding representatives signed the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787. Then, the first of the thirteen original states to ratify (approve, endorse, accept, formally confirm, validate, sign) the new U.S. Constitution, which replaced the Articles of Confederation, was Delaware, signing on December 7, 1787. This signing admitted (entered, received statehood) Delaware, known as “The First State,” to the United States December 7, 1787. The current Delaware State Constitution in use was adopted in 1897

• Delaware: Admitted as “The First State” December 7, 1787 by Daniel A. Cotter, Adjunct Professor, The John Marshall Law School; Past President, The Chicago Bar Association

Essay 24 – Pennsylvania and Our Form of Government

2 – Pennsylvania – December 12, 1787 – Birthplace of independence and the United States Constitution. “The Keystone State,” Pennsylvania is second of the thirteen original states to ratify the U.S. Constitution and enter the United States. The Pennsylvania State Constitution currently in use was adopted in 1968

• Pennsylvania and Our Form of Government by Andrew Hohns, Board Chair USA 250

Essay 25 – New Jersey: Third of the Original Thirteen to Join the United States

3 – New Jersey – December 18, 1787 – Third of the thirteen original states to ratify the U.S. Constitution and join the United States, “The Garden State” of New Jersey entered the United States December 18, 1787. The New Jersey State Constitution in use today was adopted in 1948

• New Jersey: Third of the Original Thirteen to Join the United States by Daniel A. Cotter, Adjunct Professor, The John Marshall Law School; Past President, The Chicago Bar Association

Essay 26 – Georgia on My Mind

4 – Georgia – January 2, 1788 – Georgia is fourth of the thirteen original states to ratify the U.S. Constitution to join the United States of America January 2, 1788. Georgia joined the Confederacy January 19, 1861. The Georgia State Constitution that is the latest version and currently in use was adopted in 1983. Georgia is known as “The Peach State” or “Empire State of the South.”

• Georgia on My Mind by Martha Zoller, Policy Advisor, Office of the Governor, Brian Kemp; Political Pundit; Former Congressional Candidate, Georgia

Essay 27 – The Constitutional Roots of Connecticut

5 – Connecticut – January 9, 1788 – Fifth of the thirteen original states to ratify the U.S. Constitution, Connecticut was admitted to the United States January 9, 1788. The Connecticut State Constitution currently in use was adopted in 1965, and is known as “The Constitution State.”

• The Constitutional Roots of Connecticut by Steve Armstrong, Connecticut Board of Education’s Social Studies, Consultant; Past President, National Council for the Social Studies

Essay 28 – The Massachusetts Constitution of 1780: John Adams & the Fundamental Liberties of the People

6 – Massachusetts – February 6, 1788 – “The Bay State,” Massachusetts, is sixth of the thirteen original states to ratify the U.S. Constitution and thus be admitted to the Union of the United States. The Massachusetts State Constitution adopted its current one in use was adopted in 1780

• The Massachusetts Constitution of 1780, John Adams & the Fundamental Liberties of the People by Tony Williams, Author of five books including Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance that Forged America; Senior Teaching Fellow, Bill of Rights Institute; Constituting America Fellow

Essay 29 – Maryland’s 1867 State Constitution, Among the Oldest in Use Today

7 – Maryland – April 28, 1788 – Maryland is the seventh state admitted to the United States, ratifying the U.S. Constitution April 28, 1788. The current Maryland State Constitution in use was adopted in 1867. Maryland is known as the “Old Line State.”

• Maryland’s 1867 State Constitution, Among the Oldest in Use Today by Gary Porter, Executive Director, Constitution Leadership Initiative

Essay 30 – Secession – Reasons and consequences for states seceding from the Union; strength of America and why states do not secede today

• Secession? America’s Founding and Why States Seceded From the Union by Kyle Scott, Ph.D., Board of Trustees, Lone Star College System; Professor of Political Science, University of Houston; Author of The Limits of Politics: Making the Case for Literature in Political Analysis, and The Federalist Papers: A Reader’s Guide

Essay 31 – South Carolina, Admitted 1788 and Eighth State to Ratify the U.S. Constitution

8 – South Carolina – May 23, 1788 – The eighth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, South Carolina, was admitted to the United States May 23, 1788. It was also the first state to secede from the Union. The current South Carolina State Constitution was adopted in 1896. South Carolina is known as “The Palmetto State.”

• South Carolina, Admitted 1788 and Eighth State to Ratify the U.S. Constitution by Charles F. Vaughan, National Board Certified Social Studies Teacher; World Geography Teacher and Teacher Cadet, A.C. Flora High School, Columbia, South Carolina

Essay 32 – New Hampshire: The First in the Nation

9 – New Hampshire – June 21, 1788 – Known as “The Granite State,” New Hampshire was ninth of the thirteen original states to ratify the U.S. Constitution, admitting it to the Union June 21, 1788. The New Hampshire State Constitution in use today was adopted in 1783. Article VII of the U.S. Constitution says nine states would be sufficient to ratify and officially make the U.S. Constitution law of the land. New Hampshire was the ninth and final state needed to accomplish this official ratification which ended government under the Articles of Confederation

• New Hampshire: The First in the Nation by The Honorable Bill O’Brien, Former Speaker, New Hampshire House of Representatives

Essay 33 – How Virginia’s State Constitution Would Impact Construction of the United States Constitution

10 – Virginia – June 25, 1788 – “Old Dominion” as Virginia is known, was tenth of the thirteen original states to ratify the U.S. Constitution, admitting it to the Union June 25, 1788. The Virginia State Constitution in current use was adopted in 1971; the Virginia Constitution of 1776 compared to the MA Constitution of 1780

• How Virginia’s State Constitution Would Impact Construction of the United States Constitution by Daniel A. Cotter, Adjunct Professor, The John Marshall Law School; Past President, The Chicago Bar Association

Essay 34 – Republican Principles of the 1776 Virginia Constitution

• Republican Principles of the 1776 Virginia Constitution by Tony Williams, Author of five books including Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance that Forged America; Senior Teaching Fellow, Bill of Rights Institute; Constituting America Fellow

Essay 35 – New York: Eleventh of the Original Thirteen to Become a State in the Union

11 – New York – July 26, 1788 – Eleventh of the thirteen original states to ratify the U.S. Constitution, New York was admitted to the Union July 26, 1788 and is known as “The Empire State.” The current New York State Constitution was adopted in 1895

• New York: Eleventh of the Original Thirteen to Become a State in the Union by Daniel A. Cotter, Adjunct Professor, The John Marshall Law School; Past President, The Chicago Bar Association

Essay 36 – North Carolina’s Vital Role in Ensuring The People Had a Bill of Rights

12 – North Carolina – November 21, 1789 – Twelfth of the thirteen original states to ratify the U.S. Constitution, North Carolina, “The Tar Heel State,”  was admitted to the United States November 21, 1789. The North Carolina State Constitution currently in use was adopted in 1971

• North Carolina’s Vital Role in Ensuring the People Had a Bill of Rights by NorthCarolinaHistory.org, a project of the John Locke Foundation; and Anna Manning, Marketing and Operations Specialist, the John Locke Foundation.

Essay 37 – Rhode Island: The Small Colony That Solidified the United States

13 – Rhode Island – May 29, 1790 – Last of the thirteen original states to ratify the U.S. Constitution, Rhode Island was admitted to the Union May 29, 1790. The Rhode Island State Constitution in current use was adopted in 1986. Rhode Island is known as “The Ocean State.”

• Rhode Island: The Small Colony That Solidified the United States by Kyle Scott, Ph.D., Board of Trustees, Lone Star College System; Professor of Political Science, University of Houston; Author of The Limits of Politics: Making the Case for Literature in Political Analysis, and The Federalist Papers: A Reader’s Guide

Essay 38 – Admitting States to the Union – Article IV, Section 3 on entry of new states to the Union, and how the U.S. Constitution protects each state individually and as a whole nation; all of the original thirteen states except Rhode Island sent delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention to complete the new U.S. Constitution that includes Article IV; the Northwest Ordinance

• Equality of States: The National Union and the Republican Principles by Tony Williams, Author of five books including Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance that Forged America; Senior Teaching Fellow, Bill of Rights Institute; Constituting America Fellow

New States and the American Industrial Revolution (1791)

Essay 39 – Vermont, 1791: First State Admitted After the Original Thirteen Colonies

14 – Vermont – March 4, 1791 – On March 4, 1791, Vermont, known as “The Green Mountain State” was the first admitted to the Union after the U.S. Constitution was ratified by the original thirteen colonies. The current Vermont State Constitution in use was adopted in 1793

• Vermont, 1791: First State Admitted After the Original Thirteen Colonies by William J. Federer, Nationally Known Speaker, Best-selling Author of many books including America’s God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations; President, Amerisearch.net

Essay 40 – Crafting Constitutions in the Commonwealth of Kentucky

15 – Kentucky – June 1, 1792 – Known as “The Bluegrass State,” Kentucky is the fifteenth state to enter the Union, having ratified the U.S. Constitution June 1, 1792. The current Kentucky State Constitution in use was adopted in 1891

• Crafting Constitutions in the Commonwealth of Kentucky by James C. Clinger, Professor of Political Science; Director, Master of Public Administration Program, Department of Political Science and Sociology, Murray State University, Kentucky, and Michael W. Hail, Professor of Government, School of Public Affairs; Assistant Dean and Director of the Statesmanship Center, Morehead State University, Kentucky

Essay 41 – Tennessee, 1796: The Volunteer State

16 – Tennessee – June 1, 1796 – Tennessee entered the Union as the sixteenth state, having ratified the U.S. Constitution June 1, 1796. “The Volunteer State” currently uses its latest version of the Tennessee State Constitution adopted in 1870

• Tennessee, 1796: The Volunteer State by The Honorable Robin Smith, representing the 26^th State House District of Tennessee

Westward Expansion (1803)

Essay 42 – How Ohio Crafted Its State Constitution to Uphold the Will of the People

17 – Ohio – March 1, 1803 – The seventeenth state to enter the Union, known as “The Buckeye State,” Ohio ratified the U.S. Constitution on March 1, 1803. The current Ohio State Constitution in use was adopted in 1851

• How Ohio Crafted Its State Constitution to Uphold the Will of the People by Samuel Postell, Ph.D. Student, University of Dallas; Former Literature Teacher

Essay 43 – Louisiana and the Clash of Empires

18 – Louisiana – April 30, 1812 – Known as “The Pelican State,” Louisiana was the eighteenth admitted to the United States, ratifying the U.S. Constitution April 30, 1812 just before the start of the War of 1812. The current Louisiana State Constitution in use was adopted in 1975; Louisiana Purchase, territory history prior to the statehood

• Louisiana and the Clash of Empires by Tony Williams, Author of five books including Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance that Forged America; Senior Teaching Fellow, Bill of Rights Institute; Constituting America Fellow

Essay 44 – Indiana: Long an Example of Robust Statehood

19 – Indiana – December 11, 1816 – The U.S. Constitution ratification date of December 11, 1816 marks Indiana as the nineteenth state to enter the Union. The Indiana State Constitution currently in use was adopted in 1851. Indiana is known as “The Hoosier State.”

• Indiana: Long an Example of Robust Statehood by The Honorable Randall T. Shepard, Former Chief Justice, Indiana Supreme Court

Essay 45 – Mississippi’s Road to Statehood

20 – Mississippi – December 10, 1817 – “The Magnolia State” of Mississippi is the twentieth admitted to the Union, having ratified the U.S. Constitution December 10, 1817. The current Mississippi State Constitution in use was adopted in 1890

• Mississippi’s Road to Statehood by Clay Williams, Sites Administrator, Mississippi Department of Archives & History

Essay 46 – Illinois, Admitted December 3, 1818 as the Twenty-First State

21 – Illinois – December 3, 1818 – Admitted to the Union December 3, 1818, Illinois is the twenty-first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Known as “The Prairie State,” the Illinois State Constitution adopted in 1970 is the version currently used

• Illinois, Admitted December 3, 1818 as the Twenty-First State by Daniel A. Cotter, Adjunct Professor, The John Marshall Law School; Past President, The Chicago Bar Association

Essay 47 – Alabama Statehood and Its State Constitution History

22 – Alabama – December 14, 1819 – The December 3, 1818 ratification of the U.S. Constitution by Alabama brought the twenty-second state into the Union. “The Heart of Dixie” currently uses the Alabama State Constitution adopted in 1901

• Alabama Statehood and Its State Constitution History by Jeremy Ward, Development Officer, American Village Citizenship Trust

Essay 48 – A Fire Bell in the Night: The Story of Maine Statehood (Part 1)

23 – Maine – March 15, 1820 – Known as “The Pine Tree State,” Maine is the twenty-third to enter the Union, doing so by ratifying the U.S. Constitution on March 15, 1820. The current Maine State Constitution in use was adopted in 1820

A Fire Bell in the Night: The Story of Maine Statehood (Part 1) by Jeff Hollingsworth, Director of Foundation Relations, The Fund for American Studies

Essay 49 – A Fire Bell in the Night: The Story of Maine Statehood (Part 2)

• A Fire Bell in the Night: The Story of Maine Statehood (Part 2) by Jeff Hollingsworth, Director of Foundation Relations, The Fund for American Studies

Essay 50 – Missouri Statehood and the First Sirens of Civil War

24 – Missouri – August 10, 1821 – “The Show-Me State” of Missouri ratified the U.S. Constitution August 10, 1821 making it the twenty-fourth state to join the United States. The Missouri State Constitution currently in use was adopted in 1945

• Missouri Statehood and the First Sirens of Civil War by Samuel Postell, Ph.D. Student, University of Dallas; former Literature Teacher

Essay 51 – Founders’ Vision for Keeping the States Strong, United, and Free (Part 1) – Thomas Jefferson’s 1798 Nullification in the Kentucky Resolution, how it contributed to John Calhoun’s 1830s Nullification, acts showing how each state has a duty and right to question and determine if federal laws exceed constitutional limits on federal powers, obstructing state sovereignty

Founders’ Vision for Keeping the States Strong, United, and Free (Part 1) by Joerg Knipprath, Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School; Constituting America Fellow

Essay 52 – Founders’ Vision for Keeping the States Strong, United, and Free (Part 2)

• Founders’ Vision for Keeping the States Strong, United, and Free (Part 2) by Joerg Knipprath, Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School; Constituting America Fellow

Essay 53 – Arkansas: A Brief History of Statehood

25 – Arkansas – June 15, 1836 – Twenty-Fifth of the growing United States to be added was Arkansas, known as “The Natural State.” The current Arkansas State Constitution in use today was adopted in 1874

• Arkansas: A Brief History of Statehood by The Honorable Tim Griffin, Lieutenant Governor, Arkansas

Essay 54 – Not Double Vision, Double Constitutions: Michigan History and Statehood (Part 1)

26 – Michigan – January 26, 1837 – Michigan, known as “The Wolverine State,” was admitted to the United States January 26, 1837 making it the twenty-sixth to ratify the U.S. Constitution. The current Michigan State Constitution in use was adopted in 1963

Not Double Vision, Double Constitutions: Michigan History and Statehood (Part 1) by The Honorable Michael Warren, Presiding Judge, General Civil/Criminal Division of the 6th Circuit Court, Oakland County, Michigan

Essay 55 – Not Double Vision, Double Constitutions: Michigan History and Statehood (Part 2)

• Not Double Vision, Double Constitutions: Michigan History and Statehood (Part 2) by The Honorable Michael Warren, Presiding Judge, General Civil/Criminal Division of the 6th Circuit Court, Oakland County, Michigan

Essay 56 – A Brief History of Florida and Its Constitutions

27 – Florida – March 3, 1845 – On March 3, 1845, Florida, “The Sunshine State,” ratified the U.S. Constitution admitting it to the Union as the twenty-seventh state. The adopted 1968 Michigan State Constitution is the version in use today

• A Brief History of Florida and Its Constitutions by Ben DiBiase, Director of Educational Resources, Florida Historical Society

Essay 57 – Texas: A Unique History Which Impacted Its Constitutional Future

28 – Texas – December 29, 1845 – The “Lone Star State” of Texas ratified the U.S. Constitution on December 29, 1845 making it the twenty-eighth to enter the Union. The Texas State Constitution currently in use was adopted in 1876

• Texas: A Unique History Which Impacted Its Constitutional Future by Sam Houston, Playwright, Author, Actor, Public Speaker; Former Board Member, National Reining Horse Association; Star of “The Lion of Texas-An Evening with Sam Houston”; General Manager, Granbury Live Theater

Essay 58 – The Path to Iowa Statehood

29 – Iowa – December 28, 1846 – The U.S. Constitution ratified by Iowa on December 28, 1846 admitted “The Hawkeye State” as the twenty-ninth to enter the Union. The 1857 Iowa State Constitution is the adopted version currently in use

• The Path to Iowa Statehood by Tom Morain, Director of Government Relations, and Former Professor of History, Graceland University; Past Administrator, The State Historical Society of Iowa; Author and Award-Winning Historian

Essay 59 – “On Wisconsin!”

30 – Wisconsin – May 29, 1848 – Thirtieth to join the United States, Wisconsin, known as “The Badger State,” ratified the U.S. Constitution May 29, 1848. The Wisconsin State Constitution currently in use was adopted in 1848

• “On Wisconsin!” by Val Crofts, Social Studies Teacher, Wisconsin; Member, U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission

Essay 60 – California, September 9, 1850: Thirty-First Admitted to the United States (Part 1 )

31 – California – September 9, 1850 – Ratifying the U.S. Constitution September 9, 1850, California, known as “The Golden State,” was the thirty-first admitted to the United States. The California State Constitution adopted in 1879 is the version currently in use; the Mexican War and Compromise of 1850

• California, September 9, 1850: Thirty-First Admitted to the United States (Part 1) by Joerg Knipprath, Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School; Constituting America Fellow

Essay 61 – California, September 9, 1850: Thirty-First Admitted to the United States (Part 2)

• California, September 9, 1850: Thirty-First Admitted to the United States (Part 2) by Joerg Knipprath, Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School; Constituting America Fellow

Essay 62 – Divided by a River and a Convention: Minnesota’s Constitutional Heritage

32 – Minnesota – May 11, 1858 – Minnesota ratified the U.S. Constitution May 11, 1858 making it the thirty-second to join the United States. The current Minnesota State Constitution in use today was adopted in 1857. Minnesota is known as “The North Star State.”

• Divided by a River and a Convention: Minnesota’s Constitutional Heritage by Anthony Sanders, Senior Attorney, Institute for Justice

Essay 63 – Oregon: Alis Volat Propriis “She Flies With Her Own Wings”

33 – Oregon – February 14, 1859 – Joining the Union February 14, 1859 by ratifying the U.S. Constitution, Oregon became the thirty-third state. Currently in use is the Oregon State Constitution ratified in 1857, and adopted in 1859 once Oregon became a state

• Oregon: Alis Volat Propriis “She Flies With Her Own Wings” by Brad Bergford, Chief Executive Officer, Colorado Family Action and Colorado Family Action Foundation

Admission of States, and the Civil War (1861-1865)

Essay 64 – Bleeding Kansas and Four Constitutions
34 – Kansas – January 29, 1861 – “The Sunflower State,” as Kansas is known, ratified the U.S. Constitution January 29, 1861 as the thirty-fourth admitted to the United States. Prior to the start of the Civil War and eight states having just seceded, Kansas was admitted as a free state; Bleeding Kansas; The Kansas State Constitution currently in use was adopted in 1861

• Bleeding Kansas and Four Constitutions by Tony Williams, Author of five books including Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance that Forged America; Senior Teaching Fellow, Bill of Rights Institute; Constituting America Fellow

Essay 65 – The Constitutional Intrigue of West Virginia Statehood
35 – West Virginia – June 20, 1863 – Admitted June 20, 1863 by ratifying the U.S. Constitution, West Virginia became the thirty-fifth state. It is known as “The Mountain State” with the West Virginia State Constitution in current use adopted in 1872

The Constitutional Intrigue of West Virginia Statehood by Gary Porter, Executive Director, Constitution Leadership Initiative

Essay 66 – West Virginia: The Thirty-Fifth State

• West Virginia: The Thirty-Fifth State by Scot Faulkner, Served as Chief Administrative Officer, U.S. House of Representatives and as a Member of the Reagan White House Staff; Financial Adviser; President, Friends of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Essay 67 – The Lands Forming Nevada as America’s Thirty-Sixth State at the Height of the Civil War
36 – Nevada – October 31, 1864 – The thirty-sixth state admitted to the Union was Nevada, having ratified the U.S. Constitution October 31, 1864. “The Silver State,” as it is known, currently uses the Nevada State Constitution adopted in 1864

• Lands Forming Nevada as America’s Thirty-Sixth State at the Height of the Civil War by Andrew Langer, President, Institute for Liberty; Host, The LangerCast, RELMNetwork.com; Constituting America Fellow

Essay 68 – Nebraska’s State Constitution and One-Of-A-Kind Unicameral Legislature
37 – Nebraska – March 1, 1867 – March 1, 1867 ushered in the thirty-seventh state, Nebraska, to ratify the U.S. Constitution and join the United States. The Nebraska State Constitution in use today was adopted in 1875. Nebraska is known as “The Cornhusker State.”

• Nebraska’s State Constitution and One-Of-A-Kind Unicameral Legislature by James D. Best, Author, Tempest at Dawn, a novel about the 1787 Constitutional Convention; and Principled Action, Lessons from the Origins of the American Republic

Essay 69 – Bill of Rights, State and Local Government – How the Bill of Rights was aimed at the federal government because states had their own bills of rights; Barron v. Baltimore (1833) supports this until the Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868

The Bill of Rights and the States by Gary Porter, Executive Director, Constitution Leadership Initiative

Essay 70 – Role of State and Local Government and the Bill of Rights

• Role of State and Local Government and the Bill of Rights by Joerg Knipprath, Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School; Constituting America Fellow

Essay 71 – The Sovereignty of a Free and Radically Independent People: Colorado’s Enduring Constitutional Heritage
38 – Colorado – August 1, 1876 – Colorado, “The Centennial State,” ratified the U.S. Constitution August 1, 1876, making it the thirty-eighth state to enter the Union. The year 1876 also marks adoption of the Colorado State Constitution in use today

• The Sovereignty of a Free and Radically Independent People: Colorado’s Enduring Constitutional Heritage by David Kopel, Research Director at the Independence Institute, and Adjunct Professor of Advanced Constitutional Law at Denver University, Sturm College of Law

Essay 72 – North Dakota: Constitution to Statehood
39 – North Dakota – November 2, 1889 – Ratifying the U.S. Constitution November 2, 1889, North Dakota was admitted to the Union as the thirty-ninth state. Known as “The Peace Garden State,” it uses the North Dakota State Constitution adopted in 1889

• North Dakota: Constitution to Statehood by Kimberly K. Porter, Professor of History, University of North Dakota; and Dr. Donna K. Pearson, Associate Dean of Student Services and Assessment, Professor, College of Education and Human Development, University of North Dakota

Essay 73 – South Dakota: Admission as a New State and Its 1889 Constitution
40 – South Dakota – November 2, 1889 – The “Mount Rushmore State” of South Dakota, on the same day as its northern counterpart, ratified the U.S. Constitution November 2, 1889 making it the fortieth to enter the United States. Plus, in the same year of 1889, the South Dakota State Constitution in use today was adopted

• South Dakota: Admission as a New State and Its 1889 Constitution by Patrick Garry, Professor of Law, University of South Dakota

Essay 74 – Big Sky Country of Montana: History and Statehood
41 – Montana – November 8, 1889 – Entering the Union as the forty-first state, Montana ratified the U.S. Constitution November 8, 1889 and is known as “The Treasure State.” The current Montana State Constitution in use was adopted in 1973

• Big Sky Country of Montana: History and Statehood by Brad Bergford, Chief Executive Officer, Colorado Family Action and Colorado Family Action Foundation

Essay 75 – History of Washington State and Its Constitution
42 – Washington – November 11, 1889 – Washington, known as “The Evergreen State,” became the forty-second to ratify the U.S. Constitution, admitted to the Union November 11, 1889. The Washington State Constitution was adopted in 1889 and is the version in use today

• History of Washington State and Its Constitution by Mary Salamon, Author, The Government and Its People; Former Publisher, Marysville Tulalip Life Magazine; Former Washington State Leader, Governors Prayer Team

Essay 76 – The Frontier Closes: Foreign Policy and the Status of the States (Part 1) – Modern state and the capacity for political liberty of citizens to participate in civil governance; debate on ‘overseas empire’ and its implications for federalism as structured within the U.S. Constitution

• The Frontier Closes: Foreign Policy and the Status of the States (Part 1) by William Morrisey, William and Patricia LaMothe Chair in the United States Constitution, Hillsdale College; Constituting America Fellow; Author, Self-Government, The American Theme: Presidents of the Founding Civil War; and The Dilemma of Progressivism: How Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson Reshaped the American Regime of Self-Government

Essay 77 – The Frontier Closes: Foreign Policy and the Status of the States (Part 2)

• The Frontier Closes: Foreign Policy and the Status of the States (Part 2) by William Morrisey, William and Patricia LaMothe Chair in the United States Constitution, Hillsdale College; Constituting America Fellow; Author, Self-Government, The American Theme: Presidents of the Founding Civil War; and The Dilemma of Progressivism: How Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson Reshaped the American Regime of Self-Government

Essay 78 – July 3, 1890: “We, the People of the State of Idaho”
43 – Idaho – July 3, 1890 – Known as “The Gem State,” Idaho ratified the U.S. Constitution July 3, 1890 admitting the forty-third state to the Union. The Idaho State Constitution currently use today was adopted on the same day as the state’s admission to the Union, July 3, 1890

• July 3, 1890: “We, the People of the State of Idaho” by Gary Porter, Executive Director, Constitution Leadership Initiative

Essay 79 – Wyoming: The First State to Grant Voting Rights to Women
44 – Wyoming – July 10, 1890 – July 10, 1890 marks the admission of Wyoming as the forty-fourth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution and join the United States. Known as “The Equality State,” it currently uses the Wyoming State Constitution adopted in 1889

• Wyoming: First State to Grant Voting Rights to Women by Daniel A. Cotter, Adjunct Professor, The John Marshall Law School; Past President, The Chicago Bar Association

Essay 80 – Utah: Unique Among States
45 – Utah – January 4, 1896 – Utah makes the forty-fifth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, admitting it to the Union January 4, 1896. Utah became known as “The Beehive State” and currently uses the Utah State Constitution adopted in 1896

• Utah: Unique Among States by Brad Bergford, Chief Executive Officer, Colorado Family Action and Colorado Family Action Foundation

Essay 81 – Oklahoma, November 16, 1907: Forty-Sixth Admitted to the United States
46 – Oklahoma – November 16, 1907 – Forty-sixth to ratify the U.S. Constitution was “The Sooner State,” Oklahoma, thus admitting it to the United States. The Oklahoma State Constitution adopted in 1907 is the current version used today 

• Oklahoma, November 16, 1907: Forty-Sixth Admitted to the United States by Wilfred M. McClay, G.T. & Libby Blankenship Chair in the History of Liberty; Director of the Center for the History of Liberty, The University of Oklahoma; Author, Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story

Essay 82 – New Mexico Constitutional History
47 – New Mexico – January 6, 1912 – Admitted to the United States January 6, 1912, New Mexico became the forty-seventh state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. The New Mexico State Constitution used today is the version adopted on the same day as its statehood, January 6, 1912. New Mexico is known as “The Enchanted State.”

• New Mexico Constitutional History by The Honorable David L. Robbins, Education Commissioner, District 2, New Mexico

Essay 83 – Arizona: Born Angry
48 – Arizona – February 14, 1912 – “The Grand Canyon State” of Arizona became the forty-eighth and last of the contiguous states to enter the Union, ratifying the U.S. Constitution February 14, 1912. The Arizona State Constitution in use today was adopted in 1912

• Arizona: Born Angry by Sean Beienburg, Assistant Professor, School of Civic & Economic Thought and Leadership; Project Director, Living Repository of the Arizona Constitution, Arizona State University

A Growing United States to World War I (1914-1918), the Great Depression and New Deal to the Gulf War (1990-1991)

Essay 84 – Alaska: The Last Frontier
49 – Alaska – January 3, 1959 – Known as “The Last Frontier,” Alaska was the forty-ninth to ratify the U.S. Constitution and be admitted to the United States. The Alaska State Constitution currently in use was actually ratified in 1956 before Alaska entered the Union, and went into effect upon statehood January 3, 1959

• Alaska: The Last Frontier by Bethany L. Marcum, Executive Director, Alaska Policy Forum

Essay 85 – The History of Hawaii: From Fire, Tears and Blood, A Tree of Liberty Blooms
50 – Hawaii – August 21, 1959 – The last and fiftieth state to enter the Union, “The Aloha State” of Hawaii, ratified the U.S. Constitution August 21, 1959. The Hawaii State Constitution adopted in 1959 is the version in use today

• The History of Hawaii: From Fire, Tears and Blood, A Tree of Liberty Blooms by Danny de Gracia, News Contributor, Political Scientist, Novelist, Internationally Published Author

Essay 86 – Territories of the United States – Major territories of the U.S. include American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands; history surrounding types of territories or commonwealths connected to the United States; how the Organic Act establishes a U.S. territory and its governance; purpose and difference between remaining a territory or obtaining statehood

• Territories of the United States by Daniel A. Cotter, Adjunct Professor, The John Marshall Law School; Past President, The Chicago Bar Association

Essay 87 – Capital Cities and Capitol Buildings: Seats of State Government Across America (Part 1) – Importance of state capital cities and their respective state capitol buildings where legislatures meet; significances even in design and construction offering symbols of America’s history with separate places for the house, senate, governor and state judiciaries as reminders of the separation of powers in every level of government from federal to local as envisioned by America’s Founders and Constitution Framers

Capital Cities and Capitol Buildings: Seats of State Government Across America (Part 1) by Greg Davidson, Executive Clerk to the Governor, Office of the Governor, Texas

Essay 88 – Capital Cities and Capitol Buildings: Seats of State Government Across America (Part 2)

• Capital Cities and Capitol Buildings: Seats of State Government Across America (Part 2) by Greg Davidson, Executive Clerk to the Governor, Office of the Governor, Texas

Essay 89 – Washington, D.C. – February 21, 1871

While not a state in the Union, Washington, D.C. was founded July 16, 1790 and serves as the nation’s capital. The name is derived from America’s first president, George Washington, who selected the location. The federal district is named for Christopher Columbus, and officially the nation’s capital became the District of Columbia on February 21, 1871; the Twenty-Third Amendment to the United States Constitution provides D.C. ability to participate in the Electoral College

• The Nation’s Capital: The District of Columbia by Peter Roff, Senior Fellow, Frontiers of Freedom; Former U.S. News and World Report Contributing Editor; Regular Commentator, One America News Network

Statewide Leadership and Representation

Essay 90 – Form of Government – Purpose and impact of Article IV, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution in that “The United States Shall guarantees to every state in the Union a Republican Form of Government” – How the republican (representative) styles such as Commission Form, County Administrator, Elected Executive, City-County Consolidation, Constitutional Row Offices or Home Rule Authority ensures power remains in the hands of each American, preventing a monarchy or aristocracy in each state and local government

The States and America’s Republican Form of Government by Gary Porter, Executive Director, Constitution Leadership Initiative

Essay 91 – Founders’ Purpose: America’s State and Local Form of Government as Guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution

• Founders’ Purpose: America’s State and Local Form of Government as Guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution by Marc Clauson, Professor of History and Political Economy, and Professor in Honors, Cedarville University

Essay 92 – Governor – Role and purpose of a state governor

• The Unique Role of American State Governors by Greg Davidson, Executive Clerk to the Governor, Office of the Governor, Texas

Essay 93 – State Representatives and Their House Speakers, and State Senators – Purpose and functions of house and senate chambers on the state level of representation; how the senate (upper chamber) is smaller than a state house of representatives (lower chamber), yet each senator represents more people than the representatives; role of state house speakers versus the lieutenant governor as president of the senate on the state level.

• Role of State Representatives and Their House Speakers, and State Senators by Mary Salamon, Author, The Government and Its People; Former Publisher, Marysville Tulalip Life Magazine; Former Washington State Leader, Governors Prayer Team

Essay 94 – State Legislatures – How State Legislatures Work in American Government (Part 1) – History and purpose of state legislatures, and in relation to Congress regarding legislative sessions

How State Legislatures Work in American Government (Part 1) by James C. Clinger, Professor of Political Science; Director, Master of Public Administration Program, Department of Political Science and Sociology, Murray State University, Kentucky, and J. Drew Seib, Professor of American Politics and Research Methods at Murray State University, Kentucky.

Essay 95 – State Legislatures – How State Legislatures Work in American Government (Part 2)

• How State Legislatures Work in American Government (Part 2) by James C. Clinger, Professor of Political Science; Director, Master of Public Administration Program, Department of Political Science and Sociology, Murray State University, and J. Drew Seib, Professor of American Politics and Research Methods at Murray State University.

Essay 96 – Secretary of State – Role and purpose for the secretary of state or commonwealth of the states; history, and as compared to the Secretary of State of the United States

• Secretary of State: Role and Purpose on the State Level by The Honorable John H. Merrill, Secretary of State, Alabama

Essay 97 – Attorney General – Role and purpose for attorneys general of the states; history, and as compared to the Attorney General of the United States

• The Role of the State Attorney General by The Honorable Ken Paxton, Attorney General, Texas

County and City Leadership, and Representation

Essay 98 – “All Politics is Local” – The view that “all politics is local” and why; purpose for the amount of local governments that exist such as counties, municipalities, towns and townships, special districts and school districts within the United States; effects of sparse versus dense geographic areas represented, urban versus rural for effective, constitutional representation

• “All Politics is Local” by Scot Faulkner, Served as Chief Administrative Officer, U.S. House of Representatives and as a Member of the Reagan White House Staff; Financial Adviser; President, Friends of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Essay 99 – County Leadership – Elected and appointed county roles; purpose and impact of county boards, county executives, county managers, assessor, treasurer, supervisor, commissioners; history and development of counties and their governance, functions of the county seat; how some are airport hubs, for example, and maintain other significant functions different from city government; relationship to state level leadership for local management of statewide issues

• Counties: Backbone of Local Government, Core of Our Civic Culture by Scot Faulkner, Served as Chief Administrative Officer, U.S. House of Representatives and as a Member of the Reagan White House Staff; Financial Adviser; President, Friends of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Essay 100 – City Leadership – Elected and appointed city roles; purpose of city council and impact of local city councils, city managers, administrators and other municipal, legislative bodies; role of a mayor, and significance in how states differ regarding the mayoral role as compared to other elected seats; how in some states a city mayor may carry significant power as compared to that of the governor; examples such as Mayors Robert Moses or Rudy Giuliani of New York City and how each, in his service, affected not only the city but the entire state

• City Leadership: Two Case Studies by J. Eric Wise, Partner, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP in New York City

Essay 101 – Home Rule or Dillon Rule? – Meaning, purpose and impact of “Home Rule” or “Dillon Rule” authority, how each works for local government in comparison to state; initiative and referendum, delegation and management to make and implement local policy decisions as made by voters and local leadership

Home Rule or Dillon Rule? by Gary Porter, Executive Director, Constitution Leadership Initiative

Essay 102 – Home Rule or Dillon Rule? Meaning and Purpose for Effective Local Government

• Home Rule or Dillon Rule? Meaning and Purpose for Effective Local Government by Marc Clauson, Professor of History and Political Economy, and Professor in Honors, Cedarville University

Judges: State, County and City Judiciary

Essay 103 – Lower Courts – How local judiciary systems work; lower courts from state supreme to municipal that sit below the United States Supreme Court

• Lower Courts: How Local Judiciary Systems Work by Gary Porter, Executive Director, Constitution Leadership Initiative

Essay 104 – State Supreme Courts – How state supreme courts work in relation to the United States Supreme Court; how America’s Founders intended the nation’s judiciary would serve as lower than, and not superior to, the legislative branch in order only to function as interpreter and not maker of law; Alexander Hamilton in Federalist 78, “The interpretation of the laws is the proper and peculiar province of the courts.”

State Supreme Courts by Daniel A. Cotter, Adjunct Professor, The John Marshall Law School; Past President, The Chicago Bar Association

Essay 105 – Role of State Courts and the American Judicial System (Part 1)

Role of State Courts and the American Judicial System (Part 1) by Joerg Knipprath, Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School; Constituting America Fellow

Essay 106 – Role of State Courts and the American Judicial System (Part 2)

• Role of State Courts and the American Judicial System (Part 2) by Joerg Knipprath, Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School; Constituting America Fellow

Essay 107 – Judicial Finality and Effects on State and Local Government – Reconsidering Judicial Finality, essays by Louis Fisher from his book on Reconsidering Judicial Finality and the Supreme Court, with an emphasis on state and local effects

Judicial Finality: Is There a Final Word on Constitutional Issues? by Louis Fisher, Scholar in Residence, Constitution Project; Former Senior Specialist in Separation of Powers, Congressional Research Service and Specialist in Constitutional Law with the Law Library of Congress. Author, including the forthcoming, Reconsidering Judicial Finality: Why the Supreme Court is Not the Last Word on the Constitution (University Press of Kansas, spring of 2019)

Essay 108 – Judicial Finality: Protecting Individual Rights

Judicial Finality: Protecting Individual Rights by Louis Fisher, Scholar in Residence, Constitution Project; Former Senior Specialist in Separation of Powers, Congressional Research Service and Specialist in Constitutional Law with the Law Library of Congress. Author, including the forthcoming, Reconsidering Judicial Finality: Why the Supreme Court is Not the Last Word on the Constitution (University Press of Kansas, spring of 2019)

Essay 109 – Judicial Finality: Correcting Errors

• Judicial Finality: Correcting Errors by Louis Fisher, Scholar in Residence, Constitution Project; Former Senior Specialist in Separation of Powers, Congressional Research Service and Specialist in Constitutional Law with the Law Library of Congress. Author, including the forthcoming, Reconsidering Judicial Finality: Why the Supreme Court is Not the Last Word on the Constitution (University Press of Kansas, spring of 2019)

Funding State and Local Government

Essay 110 – Taxation and the States – Concerns that the Constitution did not explicitly restrain elected officials by specific limitations on the taxing power, then they will use the taxation power to extend the reach of federal government

• Their Common Defense: Alliance Between the Sovereign States by Gordon Lloyd, Professor of Public Policy, Pepperdine University; National Advisory Council, Walter and Leonore Annenberg Presidential Learning Center, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation; Co-author: The Two Narratives of Political Economy

Essay 111 – Funding States and Cities: How Dollars Work (Part 1) – Connection to Congress regarding funding of states and municipalities; how taxes, which is how governments have money, work for the United States as a whole and individual states down to the most local levels; what and how from federal, to state, to county, to city gets funded

Funding States and Cities: How Dollars Work (Part 1) by Nicholas Jacobs, Faculty Research Associate, School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, Arizona State University; Assistant Project Director, Living Repository of the Arizona Constitution

Essay 112 – Funding States and Cities: How Dollars Work (Part 2)

• Funding States and Cities: How Dollars Work (Part 2) by Nicholas Jacobs, Faculty Research Associate, School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, Arizona State University; Assistant Project Director, Living Repository of the Arizona Constitution

Essay 113 – Funding States and Cities: The Arguments (Part 1) – Why America’s founders wanted limited government; what this means in relation to the ongoing arguments presented by America’s voters and their elected representatives for and against raising and lowering taxes

Funding States and Cities: The Arguments (Part 1) by Nicholas Jacobs, Faculty Research Associate, School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, Arizona State University; Assistant Project Director, Living Repository of the Arizona Constitution

Essay 114 – Funding States and Cities: The Arguments (Part 2)

• Funding States and Cities: The Arguments (Part 2) by Nicholas Jacobs, Faculty Research Associate, School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, Arizona State University; Assistant Project Director, Living Repository of the Arizona Constitution

Elections: State, County and City

Essay 115 – Apportionment – Population and how it works to affect development of not only congressional representation, but also city, county and state governing bodies, and districts

Apportionment, Voting and Representation by Joerg Knipprath, Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School; Constituting America Fellow

Essay 116 – Apportionment and State Constitutions

Apportionment and State Constitutions by Joerg Knipprath, Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School; Constituting America Fellow

Essay 117 – Apportionment and State Judiciaries

• Apportionment and State Judiciaries by Joerg Knipprath, Professor of Law, Southwestern Law School; Constituting America Fellow

Essay 118 – Down-Ballot – How local elections differ from statewide elections; role and importance of local elections though they tend to receive lower voter turnout

• Down-Ballot Elections by Scot Faulkner, Served as Chief Administrative Officer, U.S. House of Representatives and as a Member of the Reagan White House Staff; Financial Adviser; President, Friends of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park

Contemporary Issues in State and Local Government

Essay 119 – Renewal of American Federalism –An essay on the roots of our nation’s debt and dysfunction today

• Renewal of American Federalism by Michael Maibach, Managing Director and Board of Trustees, James Wilson Institute on Natural Rights and the American Founding

Essay 120 – The Importance of “Clearing Title” to Public Lands – An aspect of protecting property rights and encouraging settlement of western lands

• Clearing Title: How Simple Legal Acts Have Great Societal Consequences by Andrew Langer, President, Institute for Liberty; Host, The LangerCast, RELMNetwork.com; Constituting America Fellow

Essay 121 – The Federal Government’s “Duty to Dispose” of Public Lands – When states became states, and the federal government’s failure to make good on the agreement

• Public Lands and the Federal Government’s “Duty to Dispose” by Andrew Langer, President, Institute for Liberty; Host, The LangerCast, RELMNetwork.com; Constituting America Fellow

Essay 122 – Would the United States Exist Without Borders? – Significance of borders between cities, counties, each state in the Union, and the entire United States

• The Essential Nature of Borders in Ensuring Sovereignty by Andrew Langer, President, Institute for Liberty; Host, The LangerCast, RELMNetwork.com; Constituting America Fellow

Essay 123 – Civil Society and Local Government (Part 1) – Meaning, importance and how free and independent states of America maintain it; civil as related to citizens and their concerns; polite, courteous, well-mannered approach; consequences for failure in relation to solving political concerns and issues today

Civil Society and Local Government (Part 1) by William Morrisey, William and Patricia LaMothe Chair in the United States Constitution, Hillsdale College; Constituting America Fellow; Author, Self-Government, The American Theme: Presidents of the Founding Civil War; and The Dilemma of Progressivism: How Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson Reshaped the American Regime of Self-Government

Essay 124 – Civil Society and Local Government (Part 2)

• Civil Society and Local Government (Part 2) by William Morrisey, William and Patricia LaMothe Chair in the United States Constitution, Hillsdale College; Constituting America Fellow; Author, Self-Government, The American Theme: Presidents of the Founding Civil War; and The Dilemma of Progressivism: How Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson Reshaped the American Regime of Self-Government

Essay 125 – Right of the States to Oppose Tyranny – History and importance of the right to petition for a redress of grievances in American government as written in the United States Constitution, First Amendment, “and to petition the government for a redress of grievances”

• Right of the States to Oppose Tyranny by Jennie Jones, Assistant Professor, American Government and History, Weatherford College

Essay 126 – Battle for Power Between Congress and the States – How to keep the Founders’ intentions for “we the people” who are in charge of their own governing

• Battle for Power Between the National Government and the States by J. Eric Wise, Partner, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP in New York City

Essay 127 – Conclusion: The States and the Union

• Conclusion: The States and the Union by William Morrisey, William and Patricia LaMothe Chair in the United States Constitution, Hillsdale College; Constituting America Fellow; Author, Self-Government, The American Theme: Presidents of the Founding Civil War; and The Dilemma of Progressivism: How Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson Reshaped the American Regime of Self-Government

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