Tenth Amendment Center

A few days ago, July 14th to be exact, was the anniversary of President John Adams signing the Sedition Act into law.  July 14, 1798 was not a good day for this country.

At the time, the two major political parties were the Federalists (led by John Adams and Alexander Hamilton) and the Democratic-Republicans (led by Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr - who actually killed Hamilton in a duel!).

The Sedition act was an effort, in practice, to silence opposition press and stifle Democratic-Republican criticism of the Federalists.  Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? go on reading »

by Walter E. Williams

One of the unappreciated casualties of the War of 1861, erroneously called a Civil War, was its contribution to the erosion of constitutional guarantees of state sovereignty. It settled the issue of secession, making it possible for the federal government to increasingly run roughshod over Ninth and 10th Amendment guarantees.

A civil war, by the way, is a struggle where two or more parties try to take over the central government. Confederate President Jefferson Davis no more wanted to take over Washington, D.C., than George Washington wanted to take over London. Both wars are more properly described as wars of independence.

Oklahomans are trying to recover some of their lost state sovereignty by House Joint Resolution 1089, introduced by State Rep. Charles Key. go on reading »

Bailouts of the failing Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are not only unwarranted and unwise - but the existence of both these quasi-government/private organizations is unconstitutional from the very beginning.

When looking at the constitutionality of government programs, it’s not necessary to be a law student, or an “expert” of any kind.  The founding fathers wrote the Constitution in plain English - so that ordinary people would be able to understand the law…that governs the government. go on reading »

by Rep Ron Paul

What will it take to get our troops out of Iraq?   The roughly 70 percent of Americans who are firmly against the war often ask this question.  Those in power are reluctant to give conditions, but when they do and those conditions are met, the goal post is quietly moved.

Voters were promised, passionately and vehemently, that the new Congress would bring our troops home.  Many were explicitly elected in 2006 under that banner.  But our troops are still overseas, funding has been increased even beyond the administration’s wish list, and troop withdrawal has been negotiated away. go on reading »

The framers of the Constitution attempted to balance the power of the President as commander-in-chief with that of Congress, the representatives of the People.

Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution gives to the Executive Branch the command of the nation’s armed forces, while Article I, Section 8 gives to the Legislative Branch the power to decide when the United States goes to war. go on reading »

A week ago today, Independence Day (not “the 4th”) was celebrated - but it seems that many people are missing the point of this holiday.  We all enjoy taking time with family and friends - celebrating and appreciating the warm summer - but do we ever really take time to reflect on just what we’re supposed to be cheering for?

A quick perusal of the Declaration of Independence makes it quite clear: go on reading »

by Clay Barham

If there were ever a time where the founding principle of America, as a nation, is justified again, it is the issue of state sovereignty.  The notion of multiple governing entities, contractually united for a few common and limited purposes, where all else are functions of each state, is apparent in the campaign of 2008. go on reading »

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. - That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”

Those few words, from the Declaration of Independence, are as close as one might find to be the sum total of the principle of liberty.  go on reading »

The 10th Amendment to the US Constitution embodies much of what the founders envisioned for this country - a federal government strictly limited to only specific activities, with the rest being handled on state or local levels.

Some may call this states’ rights, others refer to it as decentralization or federalism.  Whatever you call it, it’s a system of government where politicians in Washington D.C. wouldn’t have the power to dictate to you how to live your life.

Period. go on reading »

by Rep Ron Paul

One reason people are unhappy with the way politics and governments operate is that people who run for office are known to “say one thing and do another.”  Thus, we have the call for “change.”

Candidates for high office make frequent use of that word.  Even our House Republican Conference’s recently released slogan highlights that word.

Yet, bringing about change is easier said than done.  The American people are aware that government is broken and must be fixed.  They will demand more than lip service as our problems become more severe. go on reading »