From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. In 1981, “Sports Illustrated” published a cover showing $100 bills falling into a basketball hoop. The lead story was about a college basketball point-shaving scandal. The Secret Service warned Time Inc., the magazine’s publisher, that the color reproduction of the money could violate federal laws against photographing … Continue reading Constitution 101: The Counterfeiting Clause
Tag: Trump
President Trump’s beef policy may help food prices, but at what cost?
From the Southwest Ledger By James Finck, Ph.d. When President Trump ran for office in 2024, a large part of his platform was bringing down the cost of food. With tariff wars, not to mention an actual war with Iran, this has proven difficult, as food prices have continued to rise. This has been nowhere … Continue reading President Trump’s beef policy may help food prices, but at what cost?
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
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
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
Constitution 101: Commerce Clause, Part II
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. May 5, 2026 Last month I wrote that while Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 of our Constitution, known as the Commerce Clause, is one of the shortest clauses, its impact is much more prevalent than most. It is so important and has been adjudicated so often … Continue reading Constitution 101: Commerce Clause, Part II
Constitution 101: The Commerce Clause
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. When studying Congress’ authority and responsibilities in Section 8 of Article I of our Constitution, one of the shortest clauses has become one of the most complicated and litigated in American history. Clause III, known as the Commerce Clause, gives Congress the power “To regulate Commerce with … Continue reading Constitution 101: The Commerce Clause
The First Amendment: America’s Unique Foundation of Freedom
From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. Mar 29, 2026 When I teach about the American Revolution, I explain that it initially began as a fight for the colonists’ rights as British subjects that later turned into a revolution for independence. Even among the patriots in the colonies, many believed the British Empire was … Continue reading The First Amendment: America’s Unique Foundation of Freedom
Historically Speaking 