The American Idea

The Last Adieu: Lafayette and Early America

The Marquis de Lafayette came to America at age 19, on his own dime, to earn glory on the battlefield. He quickly became one of the Revolution’s greatest believers, and s

Completing the Founding: The Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Written while the Constitutional Convention was taking place in 1787, the Northwest Ordinance was adopted fully by the new government, despite being a production of the A

Fact or Fiction? Historians Discuss Young Washington

Young Washington purports to tell the story of George Washington’s early life, and the choices, situations, and actions that defined him as a young man, and in the eyes o

America's First Citizen: Character Lessons from George Washington

First in war, first in peace, and traditionally first in the hearts of Americans - what can we learn from Washington, the man? What made him the person around whom histor

Why Did the Founders Create a Republic?

America is often called a democracy, sometimes a democratic republic, and probably less-often a republic. But to be precise, the American system of constitutional governm

A Sober View of Human Nature: Federalist 10 and Factions

In Federalist 10, James Madison identified what he saw as one of the greatest dangers to popular government: factions. How did he define and understand them? Does his def

More than a Document: Living the Declaration of Independence

The ideals, values, and aspirations in the Declaration of Independence aren’t just the words of an old document - they’re a statement of political and public faith in how

Our Right to Privacy and the 4th Amendment

Our 4th Amendment rights to privacy, in various forms, has its origins before the Declaration of Independence, and is at the foundation of Americans’ understanding of nat

Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations at 250 Years

Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations” was published in 1776, shortly before America’s Declaration of Independence. Smith famously described an “invisible hand” at work behind

Returning to First Principles: America's Machiavellian Moment?

Niccolo Machiavelli, is usually cast as something of a villain for supposedly promoting cut-throat politics. Regarded as the father of modern political theory and science

Religious Liberty at the Founding and Today

Religious liberty is at the foundation of the American Idea - but how was it understood and protected at America’s Founding, and how what does this fundamental right look

The Voting Rights Act and the Callais Supreme Court Decision - Context and Analysis

The United States Supreme Court handed down its decision on Louisiana v. Callais in early May, and it’s impossible to understand this 6-3 ruling without having some backg

School Choice: The Past, Present, and Future of a Movement

School choice has moved to the forefront of national conversations and debates most notably since COVID; however the ‘educational choice’ movement is not new in America a

"Mischievous Cousins' - A British Perspective on the American Revolution

What’s taught in British schools about the American Revolution? How are Americans’ motivations during the Founding understood by our ‘cousins’ on the other side of the At

From 1776 to Civil Rights: How the Declaration Shaped the Struggle for Equality

The Abolition and Civil Rights movements are often presented as solutions to the failures of the American Founding, or replacements for its ideas. The relationship betwee

Ronald Reagan and the Declaration of Independence

Abraham Lincoln once asserted that all of his political philosophy was rooted in the Declaration of Independence. Other presidents have spoken positively about our foundi

From Madison to Modern Politics: The Separation of Powers Debate

This episode examines the constitutional principle of separation of powers: what it is, why the American founders considered it essential to liberty, and how it works in

Mobilize: How to Reboot the American Industrial Base and Prevent World War III

Jeff is joined by Palantir Technologies Development Strategist and author Madeline Hart to discuss her book, co-authored with Palantir’s CTO, about what’s wrong with Amer

Missouri v. Biden: Free Speech, Coercion, and Government Power

The First Amendment’s free speech clause is meant to protect Americans against government abridgment of free expression. How does this apply to social media companies whe

Natural Rights: The Declaration's Central Claim

What are natural rights, and why, without them, are the ideas in the Declaration of Independence empty without them? Americans talk a lot about rights, but natural right