FREE State-Wide Constitution Presentations
Lecture Series - “In the Constitution”
Every American knows that The Constitution establishes the foundation of our government. We
understand the principles of freedom our country was founded on and yet we feel uncomfortable
when it comes to tying those principles in with the actual document that serves as the law of our
land. Consequently, we get stuck wondering if we just have a different ideology than the other
side and if maybe our ideas are just opinions not backed by hard fact. In this lecture series
entitled, “In the Constitution”, we dive into the actual words of our United States Constitution
and find that the modern-day issues we deal with today are resolved in the Constitution. The
words of the Constitution come alive as we explore the Founding Fathers’ statements on the
different topics and gain insight into how the Constitution embodies those foundational
principles of freedom. Through studying the actual text of the Constitution we come to truly
understand and appreciate the standard of truth this document offers and why looking to the
Constitution - and not to modern-day political opinions - will provide us with the solutions to
real and present problems. And, perhaps most importantly, we discuss specific things that can be
done to help restore our Constitution to its proper place as the supreme law of our land.
A short write-up on each of the presentations is provided below. Each presentation lasts about 1
½ hours, is free of charge, and is presented in homes to groups as small as 5 or in public places to
groups of up to 100. Discussion, comments, and questions from the audience are highly
encouraged as we learn together. After the presentation the powerpoint slides are emailed out to
everyone who attends with the intent that each individual will take time on their own to study out
and understand more fully the power of what is written in the Constitution.
Power in the Constitution
Is our American form of government intended to be limited and narrowly defined in its scope or
was it supposed to be unlimited and unrestrained in its reach? We explore the 5 clauses of the
Constitution most often misinterpreted and abused: The General Welfare Clause, The Necessary
and Proper Clause, The Interstate Commerce Clause, Treaty Law, and the Supremacy Clause.
Then we look at modern day examples of this abuse and misinterpretation.
Economics in the Constitution
All are in agreement that our economy is suffering. But, why did this happen and how can we
return it to stable ground? We explore 10+ clauses from the Constitution and quotes from the
founding fathers that help us see that they understood very clearly the basic principles of
economic freedom and enshrined them into our Constitution to ensure our economy, and
therefore our nation, would remain strong and vibrant.
Money in the Constitution
With a national debt at over $16 trillion and unfunded liabilities over $100 trillion, the question
begs being asked, “How did we get ourselves into such a mess?” It shouldn’t be surprising to
learn that the founding fathers and the Constitution provided the solution and still have the
solution to return us to solid financial ground and sound monetary policy. We will also explore
in depth the Federal Reserve and the concept of inflation and what specific steps we can take to
return sanity to our money in the United States.
War in the Constitution
We are aware that the welfare state is crippling to the welfare recipient and to those who are
forced to uphold such a debilitating system through their tax dollars. But what about the warfare
state? Does it also cause more problems than it solves? What can history teach us about our
war, national defense, and foreign policy outlook? Better yet, what does the Constitution and
what did our founding fathers warn us to avoid and did they put specific safeguards in place into
the Constitution to avoid such a warfare state? There is much to learn as we explore the very
current and important issue of war.
Democracy in the Constitution
Are we a democracy or a republic? And, what’s the difference? It may surprise you to know
that the word “democracy” was never used in the Declaration of Independence or the
Constitution – and with good reason. Our founders deplored democracies and understood them
for the danger that they are to freedom. In this presentation we will discover what the founders
and the Constitution have to say about democracies and why the founders wisely set up a
republic to guarantee and preserve our God-given rights.
Checks and Balances in the Constitution
One of the most unique and important elements of our Constitution is its system of checks and
balances. We know the Constitution balances the strengths of each branch against each other but
do we recognize the power the Constitution gives to the states to allow them the necessary check
on Federal power? The intricate and precise checks and balances in the Constitution are
incredibly interwoven into the structure of our government to allow the necessary powers for
government to fulfill its proper role while at the same time checking the power of any one level
or branch of government from usurping the Constitutionally-defined role of the others. In this
presentation we’ll get a closer look at what the Constitution actually says about checks and
balances and we will hopefully come to a deeper understanding of a subject we thought we
already knew.
Rights in the Constitution
We correctly acknowledge that our country was founded on the principle that we have Godgiven, unalienable rights and that government’s proper role is constrained to protecting those
rights. So, what are those rights? Do we have the “right” to have our government do certain
things for us and does that “right” have anything to do with the moral code of right and wrong?
As we study the Constitution and Declaration of Independence we will look more closely at
some very fundamental principles contained in those two marvelous documents in order to see
more clearly what is – and what is not – the proper role of government.
For more information please contact Jeff at intheconstitution@gmail.com