You’re a Madisonian! Most people don’t know that in the debate over the Bill of Rights, Madison (and others) had the position that by listing rights, that limited what the government could do, rather than the opposite (listing what it can do and limiting it to items on that list). The US Constitution is designed to limit power, despite what progressives and nationalists desire.
Have you thought much about Yuval Levin’s proposal for something akin to the Federalist Society but to reform Congress?
The one thing I’d push back on is that as much as we have nationalized our politics, we’ve also become more Balkanized and tribal and we have no real common culture anymore. I agree that the former is a problem (the latter is too), but I don’t think that there’s a lack of factionalism within the states. Perhaps just not in the right ways (misdirected factionalism).
A Federalist Society to reform Congress would be most excellent. The more proceduralists and constitutionalists we can get in Congress, the better.
Oh, and I also have heavy doses of Jeffersonian as well. I agree with his position, which Madison eventually adopted himself. that while a Bill of Rights might be deficient in many regards to provide true barriers to government, it nevertheless establishes an expectation in the republic of the protection of certain rights and helps to engender an unwritten constitution in the hearts of the people and establish a constitutional culture among free citizens.
I agree entirely! I think history has borne out Jefferson’s view on that. Look at how much the judicial precedent relies upon the various amendments or how often they get invoked. Not sure where we’d be without some of those amendments.
You’re a Madisonian! Most people don’t know that in the debate over the Bill of Rights, Madison (and others) had the position that by listing rights, that limited what the government could do, rather than the opposite (listing what it can do and limiting it to items on that list). The US Constitution is designed to limit power, despite what progressives and nationalists desire.
Have you thought much about Yuval Levin’s proposal for something akin to the Federalist Society but to reform Congress?
The one thing I’d push back on is that as much as we have nationalized our politics, we’ve also become more Balkanized and tribal and we have no real common culture anymore. I agree that the former is a problem (the latter is too), but I don’t think that there’s a lack of factionalism within the states. Perhaps just not in the right ways (misdirected factionalism).
A Federalist Society to reform Congress would be most excellent. The more proceduralists and constitutionalists we can get in Congress, the better.
Oh, and I also have heavy doses of Jeffersonian as well. I agree with his position, which Madison eventually adopted himself. that while a Bill of Rights might be deficient in many regards to provide true barriers to government, it nevertheless establishes an expectation in the republic of the protection of certain rights and helps to engender an unwritten constitution in the hearts of the people and establish a constitutional culture among free citizens.
I agree entirely! I think history has borne out Jefferson’s view on that. Look at how much the judicial precedent relies upon the various amendments or how often they get invoked. Not sure where we’d be without some of those amendments.