Chuck and Mark are joined by Professor Adam Winkler as they continue their exploration of the United States Constitution. We take a balanced, deep dive to help Americans better understand the foundations of our country.
For this segment of our Constitutional series, they are exploring Articles 4 through 7 of the U.S. Constitution.
Chuck and Mark begin with Professor Winkler by exploring the states’ relationships between one another, explained in Article 4 Section 1. Professor Winkler explains how it requires states to respects certain rights given to citizens in other states. This moves them into Section 2, which protects citizens moving state-to-state and explains stopping criminals from fleeing to another state. They also discuss if a state must acknowledge rights given to illegal aliens in another state.
They continue with Section 3 of Article 4 and cover how Congress cannot create or split a state without the support of that state’s legislature, yet it has the power to create rules over federal land. Next, the discuss Section 4 and the responsibility of Congress to guarantee every state has a Republican Form of Government and protect them against invasion.
They move to Article 5 and the Amendment process, including Constitutional Conventions for proposing amendments. Professor Winkler explains the benefits and risks that would come from a Constitutions Convention today.
Regarding Article 6, Winkler points out that any treaties made by Congress act as the supreme law of the land. He also explains the Supremacy Clause, which states the U.S. Constitution is supreme over state laws.
Last, Chuck, Mark, and Professor Winkler explain the ratification of the Constitution in Article 7, which required nine of the thirteen states.
To read the Constitution, visit TheConstitutionCenter.org.
More about Professor Winkler:
Professor Adam Winkler is a specialist in American constitutional law and history. He is the author of We the Corporations: How American Businesses Won Their Civil Rights (2018) and Gunfight: The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America (2011).
His scholarship has been cited in landmark Supreme Court cases, including opinions on the Second Amendment and on corporate free speech rights. His popular writing has been featured in the New York Times, New York Review of Books, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, New Republic, Atlantic, Slate, SCOTUSblog, and Daily Beast.
He is a frequent commentator about legal issues and has appeared on Face the Nation, CNN, NBC Nightly News, C-SPAN, Newshour, ABC News, All Things Considered, Morning Edition and Marketplace. He also served as co-editor of the Encyclopedia of the American Constitution (2d Edition).
Connect with Professor Winkler:
Twitter: @adamwinkler.
Website: https://law.ucla.edu/news-and-events/in-the-news/2018/02/we-the-corporations-by-adam-winkler/
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