Musings of a Patriot

Tag: history

  • Contributing to the fediverse

    This is both new and old for me. I wrote consistently on political policy topics for over 10 years but then life happened and I tapered off nearly 10 years ago. I was writing before social media was a thing – back when decentralized personal publishing was the norm rather than everybody using one or…

  • How Economies Work

    photo credit: unforth When Adam Smith wrote The Wealth of Nations he was not writing about how economies and markets should work, he was writing about how they do work. Anyone who wants to know how they do work must read that book. Be prepared – it’s long and very detailed and you must be…

  • Constitutional Amendment 27

    I was fascinated when I learned that the 27th Amendment was included in the original proposal for the Bill of Rights. No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened. Unlike the original 10 amendments this one, along with one…

  • Constitutional Amendment 26

    Like the 15th and 19th amendments before it, the 26th Amendment is direct and to the point in extending the right to vote to a previously disenfranchised group. The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United…

  • Constitutional Amendment 25

    I’m curious about what prompted Congress to finally address the issue of presidential succession when they did, but there were actually two proposals for the 25th Amendment. One would have given Congress the power to determine the presidential succession by law. The other stipulated the succession in the Constitution itself. Section 1. In case of…

  • Constitutional Amendment 24

    I would guess that poll taxes made more sense before the government adopted income taxes but because poll taxes could be abused (and were being abused) the nation used the 24th Amendment to end the practice of poll taxes and to make failure to pay taxes insufficient reason to deny the right to vote. The…

  • Constitutional Amendment 23

    Reacting to changes in society that the founders could not have anticipated, the 23rd Amendment provided representation in the electoral college to residents of Washington D.C. in presidential elections. The District constituting the seat of government of the United States shall appoint in such manner as the Congress may direct: A number of electors of…

  • The Economic Bill of Rights

    During his final State of the Union address Franklin Delano Roosevelt spoke about what he said could be considered a second bill of rights which may be referred to as The Economic Bill of Rights. In his address he said some important things that ring true such as: We cannot be content, no matter how…

  • Constitutional Amendment 22

    Off and on in various circles the idea of mandating term limits for various elected officials is discussed with varying degrees of interest. I wonder if many of these discussions would  exist in the absence of the 22nd Amendment. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no…

  • Constitutional Amendment 21

    Closely tied to the Eighteenth Amendment (because it repeals it) the Twenty-First Amendment serves to validate the value and proper use of the amendment process. Section 1. The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed. Section 2. The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of…