Constitution Study Group

We the People - Special Guest Kathleen Dickinson

We the People - Special Guest Kathleen Dickinson

Kathleen Dickinson, head of the Nevada "We the People" program, joins to discuss the role of civic engagement in the USA throughout history and what we can do to encourage more among our community.Jump in to better understand the state of civic education in our school system.
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Wednesday, August 19, 2020 - 100 Years of Women's Suffrage

Wednesday, August 19, 2020 - 100 Years of Women's Suffrage

Women were the last group of humans that were given the right the vote 100 years ago. Why did this group of people who had been supporting the development of the country since the Revolutionary War get left behind and why did it take over 40 years since the introduction of the Amendment to get passed and ratified. Elyse looks into the history context of sexism and the true reason why women were left behind.
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Wednesday, August 12, 2020 - Factions (Political Parties)

Wednesday, August 12, 2020 - Factions (Political Parties)

We couldn't imagine our current political system without the Democratic and Republican party, but did you know that our very first president ran and acting under no party. In this Constitution Study Group we look at the Federalist Papers by Madison to understand his caution against factions that can build up to majority groups within a republic. Also we will look at the history and development of the various political parties in US history.
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Wednesday, July 22, 2020 - Judicial System

Wednesday, July 22, 2020 - Judicial System

The judicial system is the one of the most least addressed branches of the US Constitution. Elyse looks deeper at the intentions of the Federalists and Anti-federalists for the structure of the judicial branch and how the systems would be structured between the federal, state, and local communities. The source of this investigation was to understand how a criminal case is tried at the federal level versus the state level.
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Wednesday, July 15, 2020 - Constitution Study Group - Pandemic Response

Wednesday, July 15, 2020 - Constitution Study Group - Pandemic Response

Elyse welcomes her first in-person guest on the Virtual Tea Party for this week's Constitution Study Group where with Justin Yuen they look at their personal opinions of the constitutionality of the US response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In masks in solidarity of public health the two determine that the state's orders to close the economy or mandate face masks, if based on solid scientific evidence is constitutional. Elyse also ready Brutis 1 of the Antifederalists papers that posed many critiques of the dangers of too large a centralized government.
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Wednesday, July 8, 2020 - Constitution Study Group - Federalist No. 10 & Centinel No. 1

Wednesday, July 8, 2020 - Constitution Study Group - Federalist No. 10 & Centinel No. 1

In this week's Constitution Study Group Elyse reads the most important Federalist paper No. 10 along with countering Centinel No. 1 which is the countering argument among the Anti-federalists. It is obvious the different points of views these two sides had and amazing how similar the different points of view are among the partisan political groups and activists for democracy and decentralization that we see in the world today. For the remainder of these events both the Federalist Paper as well as countering Anti-Federalist Paper will be examined together.
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Wednesday, July 1 2020 - Constitution Study Group - Origins - The Federalists and Anti-federalists Papers

Wednesday, July 1 2020 - Constitution Study Group - Origins - The Federalists and Anti-federalists Papers

In this week's Constitution Study Group Elyse moves on from the Constitution to begin reading and studying the Federalist (and the Anti-Federalists papers). In this first dive see looks at Federalist 29 to better understand the context of militia and historical definition of the need for a militia. She thens looks into an article that tells the history of the police system of he United States and its origins with the Founding Father's intentions to create militia. The police began as a very democratic system that has evolved to a closed system.
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Wednesday, June 24, 2020 - Constitution Study Group - 2nd Amendment

Wednesday, June 24, 2020 - Constitution Study Group - 2nd Amendment

In this week's Constitution Study Group we look at the meaning of the second amendment and the relation it has with the initial formation of our modern police system. At the time of the writing of the document there was no police force and a community militia was needed for domestic protection of public health, safety, and security. Over time a police force was formed which sourced its roles and protection from the public (especially the marginalized communities), but in modern times the law has centralized the system and doesn't engage the perspectives of the public citizens.
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Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - Constitution Study Group - Rights of the Individual

Wednesday, June 17, 2020 - Constitution Study Group - Rights of the Individual

In this Constitution Study Group we look at all the components of the document that address the individual rights. We find that outside of the Bill of Rights there are only two points of individual rights which consists of voting and communication with representation. The first and second amendments address the rights of freedom of speech and bearing arms, which are quite limited which allows you to speak to your representation and let your perspective be heard and your right to bear arms for the purpose of militia.
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 - Constitution Study Group - Remaining Amendments

Wednesday, June 10, 2020 - Constitution Study Group - Remaining Amendments

In this edition of the Constitution Study Group Elyse reads over the remaining Amendments not yet addressed, completing the reading of the document. In following editions we will further process current issues and events and look into how voting and communication with representation can best help citizens achieve their goals. This day is also National Ice Tea Day, so the presentation begins with a demonstration of making quick ice tea with 18 Ruby black tea.
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Wednesday, June 3, 2020 - Constitution Study Group - Executive, Judicial, & Amendments AddressingRace

Wednesday, June 3, 2020 - Constitution Study Group - Executive, Judicial, & Amendments AddressingRace

In this installment of the Constitution Study Group we look at Articles II and III which outline the duties and role of the Executive (President) and Judicial branch of the government. Additionally, we look at Amendments XIII, XIV, and XV to take a closer look at the constitutional rights of all citizens, including citizens of all color. According to the Constitution every citizen is granted the same rights to protection and safety, which is a strong statement in support of Black Lives Matter and the opposition of discriminatory police brutality.
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Wednesday, May 27, 2020 - Constitution Study Group Part 2

Wednesday, May 27, 2020 - Constitution Study Group Part 2

In this Constitution Study Group we look at the hierarchy of power between the federal government, state, and individual. Does the individual have the right to defy orders by the federal or state government if they believe it challenges their rights as stated in the Bill of Rights. We see that the federal government only has power over what is stated in the Constitution while states have power over all other matters. The individual does have power, but in matters that involve public safety these rights are limited.
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