From the Southwest Ledger By James Finck, Ph.d. on Tuesday, August 18, 2026 I have said this many times before, but the number one question I am asked when I give talks is: Are we more divided now than ever before? My answer is always no. We fought a war in 1861 and have not … Continue reading Number of retiring U.S. senators ranks among top 5
Tag: news
1856 election demonstrates strengths, weaknesses of our democracy
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. Jul 28, 2026 On July 16, President Donald Trump addressed the nation to push the SAVE America Act and make our elections safe. In his speech, Trump did not repeat his claim that he won the 2020 election, but he did declassify documents showing Chinese influence in … Continue reading 1856 election demonstrates strengths, weaknesses of our democracy
Removing a Senator
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. Jul 19, 2026 Two important stories from last week were the hospitalization of U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell and the death of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham. While both events are serious and sorrowful, what is interesting from the perspective of this column is how our Constitution addresses each … Continue reading Removing a Senator
Wolford v. Lopez rightly arms permit holders, business owners
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. Jul 12, 2026 Last week, I wrote about the birthright citizenship case, one of several major Supreme Court decisions handed down over the past few weeks. Today, I want to look at what is probably the second most controversial decision, and one surrounded by a great deal … Continue reading Wolford v. Lopez rightly arms permit holders, business owners
Constitution 101: Bankruptcy Clause
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. It is interesting that our Founders combined naturalization and bankruptcy into a single clause in the Constitution but they did so because with both issues they needed to move away from 13 different laws and create a nationally agreed upon set up rules. Article I, Section VIII, … Continue reading Constitution 101: Bankruptcy Clause
Birthright Citizenship
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. Jul 7, 2026 The past three weeks have been busy ones for the Supreme Court as it has issued decisions on several important cases, but none more significant than Trump v. Barbara, which struck down President Trump’s executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship. Since the passage … Continue reading Birthright Citizenship
The Supreme Court should be above politics
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. Jul 5, 2026 The last couple of weeks have been important ones for the Supreme Court as it has released several of its more important and controversial decisions. While I am going to discuss some of these cases in the near future, I first want to say … Continue reading The Supreme Court should be above politics
Trusting in elections from Grover Cleveland to today
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. On Dec. 12, 1889, former President Grover Cleveland addressed the Boston Merchants’ Association. Despite winning the popular vote, Cleveland had lost reelection a year earlier and he believed, at least in part, that voter fraud and political manipulation contributed to his defeat. It wasn’t that the election … Continue reading Trusting in elections from Grover Cleveland to today
The people’s power begins with the ballot
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. “We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” At first glance, one might assume this comes from the … Continue reading The people’s power begins with the ballot
Constitution 101: Naturalization Clause
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. May 31, 2026 I know it seemed like we would never finish with the Commerce Clause, but we finally did. It is amazing how much litigation can come from just one sentence in our Constitution; however, the next clause is just as contentious, and even more timely, … Continue reading Constitution 101: Naturalization Clause
Historically Speaking 