Introduction to the Constitution with Hillsdale College Professor Larry P. Arnn Videos 11-12
https://online.hillsdale.edu/course-list
Video 11: The Problem with Big Government
Explores the question: Does the Founders’ constitution enable the American people-by means of its systems of representative government-meet the new and pressing problems of today without compromising its fundamental principles?
-great challenge to the Constitution posed by proponents of big government, in light of the many complicated problems of the modern world
-The FDA -food and drug administration and national institute for health are unconstitutional
-argument is that they are for the general welfare-Alexander Hamilton
-if government can do what they want in the name of general welfare then where are the limits to the government and what they can do
-makes the case for limited government
-FDA, EPA, national institute of health are necessary but not in the Constitution
-drug companies make money so not cautious without some regulations?
-government was 10% of the economy-most stayed in the state-local levels
-now regulatory state is now 50% of the economy
-number of laws made in the congress
-over time government has gotten really big
-environmental regulation through agencies and government regulations
-public needs fits into the constitution-article 1 section 8 in Constitution that states-says government can tax and spend-general welfare- Madison argues that clause is badly written-pay off the debts the states had accrued-as long as the debt was in the general cause-during revolutionary war-not to be expanded like today
-government supreme authority but only during national purposes-unspoken part is that national political purposes- things need to be done for the nation to be a free nation and well governed
-limits on government and they mean something-so can’t be breached because then we become a liberal society-transformation of our government with 50% of supreme authority
transformation of Government
-almost all laws are made in a different way not in the Congress
-90% of laws are made by regulatory agencies
-Regulatory agencies also enforce the laws
-Regulatory agencies hear and adjudicate disputes concerning those laws
-3 branches of government are united into one single hand as they are in the hands of the maker/creator of the declaration of independence
-we have hundreds of law making bodies
-making technical laws that no one knows what they are
-become so large now that becomes a factor in the politics of the country
-almost a separate interest
-the government has become its own separate interest
Video 12: The Problem with Progressivism
Final problem: progressivism asserts a new view of the purpose of American government
political philosophy seeks to replace founding principles-such as equality, consent of the governed, and separation of powers
-with belief that all ideas are true only in the contexts in which they develop
-As a result, progressives believe the universal and timeless claims of the declaration of independence, which serve as the foundation of American constitutionalism, are not longer true or relevant today
19th century-school of thought-called progressivism
-each era changes so need to change with it
-move to new views so new ways of thinking all together
-problem is these progressives views are that the declaration of independence is obsolete
-they say it was good for that time-but not what it says-it is good for all times (that is the battle)
-if it is false now it was false then- if true then it is true now
-rewind: declaration of independence as final cause-Lincoln-every nation has a central idea which all minor thoughts radiate-does this new revolutionized kind of government designed to serve the principles the same principles-as the old kind-is it after something different?
-negative rights-can’t be stopped from doing things
-positive rights- you get stuff
-agencies fulfill those needs = should feed people
-bring the full power of the national government to bare on this urgent problem
-Reagan-time for choosing speech-he brings the part of big government to bare as an urgent problem
-we used to help the poor locally, but now it is regulated
-local churches and community groups who generally looked after the general welfare of the people
-entitlement programs lead to dependence
-Reference called the Constitution reader-written by most people who don’t like the constitution at all
-John Dewey (1859-1952) argument of the new world
-as the world changes it changes how we think
-those principles in the declaration of independence was fit for pioneering society, so a back then thought process
-legislation is much more powerful
ex.-nice idea to cure cancer-but then make babies more cyber like-how far is too far!
-Stephen Hawking said humans will be unrecognizable in 200 years as they have remade themselves with the loss of all humanness
-old idea-human-capable of good things says the federalist but capable of really bad things
-government used to be biased on the good things we could do so limited but just strong enough so we don’t harm each other
-don’t give it absolute power-men are not angels-god not send angels to send men to govern people
-new view-look how much more we can do by using these techniques-get these checks and balances out of the way-stop this set of government that hampers and restrains
-past-separate sovereignty and power
-give discretion so then agencies will abuse it because it is run by humans
2 problems:
-John Dewey-taught Declaration of Independence is for old times but not relevant for today’s society
-timeless universal truths are not relevant today
-human beings have the capacity to dominant one other other-nature- nature doesn’t change
-fallenness of human beings = arrangement of government
-arrange child or society any way you want to what standard would you use
Ex. Hitler wanted no Jews
-exclude nature-God-we take control as gods-what do you mean by better?
-problems come up in society but there are suspicious concentration of powers
You can’t legislate morality-but today morality is always being legislated
-All laws are imposition of morality
-All laws reflect someone’s opinion of what is good and bad, punished or not punished,
-Christians should not be ashamed to be part of the debate but insist on it
-Christians' morality are told not part of the laws, but it is a lie-not scriptural-not in Constitution
-George Washington, father of our country, president of the convention that gave us our Constitution
-it is essential and necessary for our government to listen to God’s eternal word
-stop allowing secular culture demands to silence the church
-stop apologizing for proclaiming the truth “thus saith the Lord” in matters of public policy
-theological debate-what government is allowed and not allowed to do?
-everyone is appealing to God when making laws-either a false god or the one true God