Ben Lenhart

By Ben Lenhart Few recent political skirmishes better highlight how our Constitution acts like “guardrails” during a crisis—keeping each branch

President Trump has declared he will use emergency powers to help build a border wall on America’s southern border after Congress refused to provide the funding he sought. Can he do this, and does the Constitution grant emergency powers to the president? Fortunately, the courts have addressed these issues before. This article aims to lay out the key constitutional issues involving the emergency powers off the President.

Over the 230-year history since the ratification of the Constitution in 1789, the Supreme Court has weighed in on many big issues, from free speech, abortion and discrimination to freedom of religion, gun rights, and the powers of the president. Here is a list of ten of the most important Constitutional Cases of all time.

Added to the Constitution in 1967, partly in response to John Kennedy’s assassination, the 25th Amendment has been much in the news lately, with stories about its possible use and misuse. The Amendment creates a dramatic process to transfer power to the Vice President (VP)—even against the wishes of the President—if the President is unable to fulfill his duties. This article aims to give a short overview of the history and workings of this important Amendment while staying neutral on politics.

Perhaps no word better defines America than “liberty.” Patrick Henry was not joking when he said, “Give me liberty or give me death.” His fellow patriots knew that if they failed in their fight for liberty from England, they would face death. Cherished by all Americans regardless of political leanings, liberty finds its foundation in the Constitution. This article looks at how liberty is protected by the Constitution and beyond.

President Trump nominated federal judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court. His nomination shines a bright light on a number of “hot” constitutional issues. Many news stories claim that Kavanaugh will fundamentally change the court’s position on key issues facing America. While steering clear of politics (a goal of this column), we try to separate fact from fiction on three important areas where Kavanaugh could have a direct impact.