Amendment I to the US Constitution: An Overview

The US Constitution grants enumerated powers to the central government. The drafters believed enumerating the powers limited the government. This was the argument Federalists made based upon an accepted  rule for interpreting legal documents: Expressio unius est exclusio alterius (“the express mention of one thing excludes all others”).  With that principle in mind, the government could not […]

Bill of Rights of the US Constitution: Promise Made, Promise Kept

The first ten amendments to the US Constitution are known collectively as the Bill of Rights. These amendments limit the power of the federal government. By virtue of the 14th Amendment, most government restrictions in the Bill of Rights apply to the states as well. The Constitution was a grant of power to the central […]