From Southwest Ledger Section III of Article I of the Constitution is all about the Senate. When reading the original Section III before modern amendments, right away one might notice some differences in the Senate today from when the Founders created it, and I have found that most Americans are surprised. Article I, Section III, … Continue reading Constitution 101: Senate Composition and Vacancy Clauses
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2024: A Year of Political Whirlwinds, Conflicts, and Transitions of Power
From Southwest Ledger As we come to the close of 2024, it is worth looking back over this year at some of the highs and lows. Being an election year, and a historical one at that, with only the second time a president has served two nonsequential terms, it is probably not a surprise that … Continue reading 2024: A Year of Political Whirlwinds, Conflicts, and Transitions of Power
Constitution 101: House Vacancy, Impeachment Clauses
From Southwest Ledger Article I, Section II of the U.S. Constitution is all about the House of Representatives. While the first three clauses attract most the attention and discuss the setup of the House, the last two clauses are equally important and deal with vacancies in the House and that body’s role in impeachment. It … Continue reading Constitution 101: House Vacancy, Impeachment Clauses
WITH THE FIGHT OF THE YEAR, WE ALL LOST
From Southwest Ledger Coming off a divisive election, the highly anticipated fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul could have been the perfect opportunity to unite us once again. The event brought in young people who seem to worship anyone who can make videos on TikTok while also drawing in the older crowd who wanted … Continue reading WITH THE FIGHT OF THE YEAR, WE ALL LOST
Tyranny of the Majority
From Southwest Ledger Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has announced that State Question 832 will be included on the June 16, 2026, ballot. This will be a difficult question for Oklahomans as, if passed, it will raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2029. Proponents for the initiative argue that wages have fallen … Continue reading Tyranny of the Majority
Trump, Harrison and Presidential Do-Overs
From Southwest Ledger It’s not often in life that we get a do-over, and in politics it’s even rarer. Most of the time, once a candidate is associated with defeat, they are never considered for office again. What is even rarer is a president losing reelection and getting a second shot. In fact, that has … Continue reading Trump, Harrison and Presidential Do-Overs
Off-the-cuff: unscripted comments that sank presidential campaigns
From the Southwest Ledger At the time of writing this column, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris is currently leading in most polls to win the Presidency of the United States. With only three weeks before the election, the worst thing that could happen for the Harris campaign is a snide, off-the-cuff remark that could sway voters … Continue reading Off-the-cuff: unscripted comments that sank presidential campaigns
Scrutinizing Primaries: Political History is Cyclical, Evolutionary
From Southwest Ledger I read something online the other day that said, “not to brag but I have won as many primary votes as Kamala Harris.” At first it made me chuckle, but then it made me think. My first thought was “how many times has a candidate run for president without winning a single … Continue reading Scrutinizing Primaries: Political History is Cyclical, Evolutionary
Absolute v. Qualified Immunity: Examining Executive Vesting, Separation of Powers Clauses
From Southwest Ledger Starting with the Jefferson administration, the courts have recognized two types of immunity: absolute and qualified. Absolute is just how it sounds, absolute redress regardless of motive or action. Qualified is also how it sounds, it’s a limited protection. For this, the person accused must demonstrate they acted with the belief their … Continue reading Absolute v. Qualified Immunity: Examining Executive Vesting, Separation of Powers Clauses
Do Televised Presidential Debates Sway Voters? Short answer: Probably.
From the Southwest Ledger Historically speaking, presidential debates are relatively new. The first one presidential debate was held between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy in 1960. Before then, debates were seen as beneath presidential candidates. There were plenty of debates for other positions. The 1858 Lincoln-Douglass Debates for the Illinois Senate seat are probably … Continue reading Do Televised Presidential Debates Sway Voters? Short answer: Probably.
Historically Speaking 