Advertise on podcast: Constitutional Chats Presented By Constituting America

The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution can be viewed as companion documents in that one lays out grievances as cause for independence and the other established institutions to protect our rights and freedoms so eloquently described in the Declaration.  In our current political climate, it is important to understand this companion relationship  especially when there's a renewed interest in political systems that are antithetical to those two documents.  What happens if we allowed the destruction of those Constitutional institutions that protect our rights?  What happens if we were to further concentrate political power in the hands of the state?  To lend his expertise to this topic, we are honored to welcome Dr. Eric Patterson, President and CEO of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, as our special guest this week.

Today, we contrast the political philosophies of two of history's most influential thinkers: James Madison and Karl Marx.  Their core philosophies could not be more different. Madison believed concentrated government power posed a fundamental threat to liberty.  Marx argued against private property and capitalism, arguing both created fundamental inequalities.  With the current rise of socialism and Marxism, especially in younger Americans, this conversation could not be more pertinent.  To lead this conversation with our student panel, we are honored to welcome Dan Mahoney, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Assumption University and Senior Research Fellow for the Heritage Foundation's B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies.

Today, we contrast the political philosophies of two of history's most influential thinkers: James Madison and Karl Marx.  Their core philosophies could not be more different. Madison believed concentrated government power posed a fundamental threat to liberty.  Marx argued against private property and capitalism, arguing both created fundamental inequalities.  With the current rise of socialism and Marxism, especially in younger Americans, this conversation could not be more pertinent.  To lead this conversation with our student panel, we are honored to welcome Dan Mahoney, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Assumption University and Senior Research Fellow for the Heritage Foundation's B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies.

Sometimes we take for granted the freedom and liberty we are born with. It is good to be reminded that we should not take our country and its history for granted.  One of the best ways we can be reminded to remain grateful is to hear first-hand experiences from those born into oppressive regimes who now get to enjoy America's liberty.  Our guest today is one such example.  Denisa Traboini was born in communist Albania in 1977 and shares her memories of growing up under that system and how her son gets to enjoy a very different childhood here than what she experienced in Albania.

Socialism isn't new.  Plato's "The Republic" outlines an ideal state with elements of socialism.  The Founding Fathers were well aware of the concept and purposefully wrote safeguards against it in our founding documents. Case in point: the Bill of Rights protects private property and Article 1 of the Constitution protects patents and intellectual property.  Please join our special guest, Timothy Sandefur, Vice President for Legal Affairs at the Goldwater Institute's Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation, and our student panel for this enlightening discussion.

Socialism sounds good in theory — but what does it look like in practice? From centralized economic policies to government control over markets and private enterprise, our guest today explores the real-world consequences of nations that have experimented with socialism — and the promises compared to the results. Dr. Shruti Rajagopalan is a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center and a Fellow at the Classical Liberal Institute at New York University School of Law and is our guest expert this week.

This week we kick off a new Constitutional Chats Podcast series on socialism.  In our first episode this week we address the basic concept of socialism: what defines it, what is it not and how does it compare with capitalism? Young Americans are embracing socialism in record numbers. A recent survey by the Cato Institute and YouGov finds that 62% of Americans aged 18–29 say they hold a "favorable view" of socialism, while a recent Gallup poll shows that 39% of ALL Americans have a positive view of socialism.  To help us understand this trend and the dangers of it, we are honored to welcome Lawrence W. Reed, president emeritus of the Foundation for Economic Education and founding president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

It's no secret, we at Constituting America are big fans of the Declaration of Independence.  What Thomas Jefferson so eloquently wrote quite literally changed the world.  But have you stopped to think exactly how it changed the world?  How did it influence other countries who were perhaps seeking independence?  Did you know in the time since our Declaration of Independence was written, over 100 countries have adopted similar declarations, inspired by our Declaration?  To discuss this global impact beyond just words on paper as well as their fantastic landmark exhibit celebrating America 250, we are honored to welcome Matthew Skic from the Museum of the American Revolution as our special guest this week.

"Consent of the governed."  It's such a powerful phrase in our Declaration of Independence and truly speaks to the heart of the American Experiment.  But what does consent mean?  To dive into this notion of consent and how it is derived and utilized in the creation of our founding documents, we are pleased to welcome long-time friend of Constituting America, Professor Christopher Burkett.  Dr. Burkett is an associate professor of political science and director of the Ashbrook Scholar Program at Ashland University.

If we were to recognize one physical location as the birthplace of our great nation, it would undoubtedly be Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA.  Originally serving as the Pennsylvania State House, this is where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were debated and adopted.  To share more information on this magnificent and historic structure, Constituting America is honored to welcome National Park Service Ranger Luke Hopely to our chat this week.  Luke serves as a park ranger at the National Park Service's Independence National Historical Park.

We all know the Fourth of July is when we adopted the Declaration of Independence to formally sever ties with the British Crown.  But the physical act of signing the Declaration, and thus affixing the signers' personal oath to that document happened nearly a month later on August 2, 1776.  To discuss the events of that day, we are honored to have Gary Porter return for a second week.  Gary Porter is the founder of former executive director of the Constitution  Leadership Initiative and regular contributor to Constituting America.

In an era of instant global communication, it is hard to fathom a time when it took it took months to communication across the Atlantic or weeks to send letters across the colonies.  But that's the world in which our country was founded.  The role of newspapers is such a vital component to our founding as it's how word of the new Declaration of Independence was transmitted to gain public support for the American Revolution.  To further expound on the role of newspapers and "viral" content for that era, we are pleased to welcome a close friend of Constituting America, Gary Porter to our show.  Gary Porter is a prolific writer and is the founder of former executive director of the Constitution  Leadership Initiative.

Signing the Declaration of Independence was just the beginning.  We then had to go out and confront the British and earn our independence.  The first major battle of the American Revolution after signing the Declaration of Independence was the Battle of Long Island in the summer of 1776.  Gen. George Washington faced off against a larger and better equipped Naval force and though the Continental Army retreated, General Washington showed traits that would be be vital for the eventual victory in the war.  To discuss the importance of these events and the lessons learned by Gen. Washington and the colonists, we are deeply honored to welcome a great friend to Constituting America.  Dr. Peter Cressy, retired U.S. Rear Admiral, spent 28 years serving in the United States Navy and is a former Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

The Articles of Confederation were the original set of laws  established to govern the colonies after the Declaration of Independence, and were in effect from 1781 to 1789 when the United States Constitution was ratified.  A defining feature of the Articles was its protection of the colonies' sovereignty and a weak central government.  In discussing the Articles, three important questions must be pondered.  What they were?  Why were they adopted?  Why did they fail?  To answer these questions, we are honored to welcome Dr. Jay Cost, professor of political science at Geneva College and the Gerald R. Ford nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

Signing the Declaration of Independence was just the beginning.  Now the colonists and Founding Fathers had to get the word out that it had been signed and gain public support for independence. Our guest today, Professor Jonathan Den Hartog explains how in the days immediately following the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we had to figure out how this Declaration would affect the colonists, congress and the army.  Professor Den Hartog is Professor and Chair of the Department of History at Samford University.