Mike Winther kicks off a special three-part series about the Constitution being under siege. At The Institute for Principle Studies, we have always emphasized the importance of viewing the Constitution from a perspective of principle over pragmatism and recognizing the Lordship of Jesus Christ over every area of life. By doing so, we can better understand its significance and the need to defend it.
In this first part, Mike talks about the Constitution and its importance as the foundation of our country's government. He examines how it is currently under siege from those who seek to destroy it and why we must protect it from these attacks. He talks about the foundation of the Constitution and what our Founding Fathers intended. This episode will give us a better understanding of our government, the Constitution, and its authority.
You'll Learn:
[06:13] Properly teaching the Constitution may decrease public support due to conflict with modern desires for government action prohibited by the Constitution.
[09:23] The Constitution's first foundation is the belief that rights come from God, and the government's purpose is to protect those rights.
[10:19] The source determines the use of anything. If rights come from the government, the government can take them away.
[11:38] The Constitution's inalienable rights come from God, a universal belief among the founding fathers.
[13:32] The founding fathers had differing views on the source of government authority, with one half believing it came from the people and the other from God.
[15:24] The legitimacy of government authority should come from a non-human source, such as God, rather than the fickle majority.
[17:47] George Washington believed the government's primary function is to exert force and should be treated as a dangerous servant and a fearful master.
[19:45] The Constitution was created to contain the potential danger of government, which the founding fathers saw as a necessary and dangerous evil.
[22:15] Plato's utopian society is created by changing the environment in which children grow up.
[26:24] The Constitution is a document of enumerated powers, while the Bill of Rights lists things the government cannot do.
[29:40] The Bill of Rights was created as a compromise with anti-federalists who wanted a list of rights, and it emphasized the idea of enumerated powers.
[33:21] The Constitution's sixth foundation idea is a mixed form of government, combining monarchy, oligarchy, democracy, and aristocracy.
[35:11] A republic is a form of government where there is rule by law, unlike the first three forms of government that have individuals above the law.
[36:18] In an oligarchy, the ruling committee is above the law, while in a democracy, the majority is above the law, but in a republic, there is rule by law.
[38:40] The founding fathers intended to create a republic, not a democracy, and the quality of a republic depends on the source of law it is based on.
[40:25] A republic can be good or bad depending on the quality of the law it's based on.
[44:00] Republican and Democratic parties don't determine whether the US is a republic or democracy. Republicans in the 1800s wanted democracy, while Democrats wanted a republic.
[46:14] Separation of powers was created due to man's sin nature. The appointment method for legislative bodies determines whether the US is a democracy or republic.
[47:02] The executive branch is appointed by the electoral college, which picks the President based on a formula in the Constitution.
[49:19] The electoral college still exists, but it's run differently from how the founding fathers intended. States can choose their electors in different ways, with most using a popular vote.
[53:09] The original system made the chief executive most responsible to the states.
[54:19] The Senate was responsible for the states, and governors would call their state senators to influence legislation before the 17th Amendment.
[55:42] The federal government was created by the states. The House of Representatives is most accountable to the people, while the judicial branch is independent.
[57:05] The founding fathers didn't intend to create three equal branches. Some branches were designed to have more power than others, and there are four ways to determine which branch has more power.
[59:42] The four bodies of government include the House which is the most powerful and accountable, followed by the Executive, Senate, and Supreme Court.
[01:01:03] The Executive Branch was seen as little more than a monarchy, with the President executing and managing the government. The House and Senate make policy and law.
[01:02:38] The founding fathers created a mixed form of government, with a republic where the law is higher than man and individual organizational sections that hopefully get the best of all worlds.
[01:04:56] The founding fathers divided the different branches of government according to different forms of church government to satisfy all three denominational influences in the government.
