Shortly after the American War for Independence, the independent sovereign states decided to replace the Articles of Confederation with the Constitution. Under the Constitution, the federal government was much stronger than it was under the Articles of Confederation (ability to tax, militia essentially under the control of Congress, regulating trade, and a number of other powers). However, even though the federal government assumed more powers under the Constitution, its powers were still limited in scope and were listed within the document. In Federalist 45 James Madison wrote that the powers delegated to the federal government were, "few and defined." When the Tenth Amendment was incorporated into the Constitution in 1791, it would reiterate the fact that the federal government only has the authority to assume the few powers delegated to it. The amendment says, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Thomas Jefferson would say, "The Tenth Amendment is the foundation of the Constitution."
Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, and many other political figures early in the American Republic believed that the powers of government, especially at the federal level, should be incredibly limited. This was because they believed that the purpose of government was to protect the life, liberty, and property of its citizens and nothing more. Compare this philosophy to the political philosophies of almost all politicians today and you have an incredible dichotomy. The current politician believes that the role of government is to provide for your retirement, healthcare, home loans, and a myriad of other things that are not authorized by the Constitution. For quite some time there has been only one politician in Washington who votes according to how Jefferson and Madison intended the federal government to be. That politician is Congressman Ron Paul. When Congressman Paul was asked in an interview if he believed that the elastic clause gave the federal government powers not enumerated in the Constitution, he responded by saying that there is a way of granting the federal government powers that it was not explicitly delegated, and that's by amending the Constitution.
Not since Republican Congressman of Nebraska Howard Buffett, has a politician in Washington adhered so strictly to the Tenth Amendment. Buffett voted to protect liberty and laissez-faire capitalism, as well as advocating a noninterventionist foreign policy. In a speech on the House floor during the 2nd session of the 78th Congress he said, "Does anyone here know of any more loose fiscal policy in a liberal government than the United States is demonstrating to the world at the present time? Can any Member here tell us how much money has been appropriated during this session of Congress, how many hundreds of millions and how many billions have been appropriated, and how many different spending bills have been introduced and passed?" He goes on to say, "How many warnings has this Congress had….the United States is drifting toward financial disaster." Sadly, if Howard Buffett, Thomas Jefferson, or James Madison were alive today the mainstream media would probably label them eccentric, like how the mainstream media often labels Ron Paul. If they were running for President and were interviewed by the omniscient George Stephanopolous, they would in all likelihood be told that they had no chance of becoming President. George Stephanopolous may be right, but what he seems to not understand is that the message of liberty and a federal government of few and defined powers is a powerful message and is resonating well with many. It may even be powerful enough to get Ron Paul elected, and restore the Tenth Amendment.
July 12, 2007
