These days I’m studying Article 2 of the Constitution, which deals with the Executive branch of government. Article 2 §1.6 is about presidential succession, which was a happier topic than we’ve had for a while. This week I’m looking at Article 2 §1.7, a relatively harmless clause dealing with presidential compensation.
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Presidential Compensation – Constitution Article 2 §1.7
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Appropriations – Constitution Article 1 §9.7
On Wednesdays we study the Constitution. I finally got to Article 1, Section 9, limiting the powers of Congress. Last week I learned about Article 1 §9.6, the “no preference clause,” which requires Congress to treat the states equally. This week it’s Constitution Article 1 §9.7, which deals with appropriations and accounting. Before you dislocate your jaw from yawning, remember “misappropriating” money is usually how politicians do crime.
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Post Offices and Post Roads – Constitution Article 1 §8.7
This week I’m studying Article 1 §8.6 of the Constitution. It’s about the Congress’ power to establish a postal system. I’m more interested in the Postal Service than the postal service, but I am interested in living in a country that works. In the wonderful anime series Kino’s Journey, a character who’s looking to settle down wanders into a nice, boring country where people live in peace and freedom and are welcoming to newcomers. His companion says it seems like a perfectly normal place, to which he replies, “A lot of people have to work very hard to make a place normal.”
Democracy is not for spectators; but to participate, you have to know the rules. That’s why I’m studying the Constitution, one clause at a time. I’m up to Article 1 §8.7. Read More
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Limiting Consequences, Constitution Article 1 §3.7
Democracy is hard, but it helps if you know what you’re doing. I want to be better at democracy so I’m studying the Constitution, and blogging what I learn.
When I was in college, I had a biology professor who often referred to experiments as ‘elegant.’ The elegant experiments were simply designed, but revealed profound results. Democracy is often referred to as an experiment. The democratic experiment is messy – scientists would say there’s a lot of noise in the data. But the design in the Constitution is elegant, and worthy of study.
After all, we must all be Constitutional scholars to get valid results.