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willtai3800 · 6 years ago

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Article I

Article I is the most complex article in the United States. It outlines the powers of Congress.

Congress is split into two houses, the House of Representatives (“house”) and the Senate. Now, you may be wondering, why there are two houses of Congress, and for that we have to look at the Connecticut Compromise.

Essentially, the smaller states were arguing that representation based on population was unfair because it only gave a voice to the bigger states, like Virginia and overshadowed and buried the voices of the smaller states while bigger states of Virginia argued that having equal representation artificially grants too much power to the bigger states, and so the Connecticut Compromise was formed.

This compromise made congress a bicameral branch of the government. This is outlined in Article I Section 1

“All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.”

Article I Section 2 outlines the election process and the restrictions

and delegation of House members

Clauses

House members are elected every two years

People who are eligible to vote also have the privilege of voting for House members

House members must be at least 25, be a citizen of the US for at least 7 years and be a resident of the state where they live

The number of representatives should not have more than 1 for every 30,000 people in a state BUT each state is entitled to at least one representative

If a House seat becomes vacant, the governor issues a writ for an election to fill said vacancy

Article I Section 3 of the constitution outlines the Senate and the processes that follow:

Clauses

Each state has two senators that serve six year terms

Senators are split into three classes to make it so that ⅓ of senators are chosen every two years

Senators must be 30 years of age, 9 years a citizen of the US and must be a resident of the state they are running for

The Vice President is the President of the Senate (hence why he referred to as “Mr./Mrs. President” in the Senate chambers

The Senate chooses their officers and vote for the president pro tempore, who becomes the president if there is no Vice President or the Vice President becomes the President of the US

The senate has the sole power to remove public officials for office. When this occurs, the Chief Justice becomes the judge and the senate the jury, wherein a public official is removed from office with ⅔ of the vote of the senate.

Removal from public office only ensures removal from public office and disqualification from holding any public office in the future (known as sovereign immunity)

Article I Sections 4-6 of the Constitution establish procedural bases for both houses

Article I Section 8 enumerates the exclusive powers of Congress

Clauses

Congress has the power to levy taxes, pay debts on behalf of the United States and provide defense and uphold the general welfare of the country

Borrow money on behalf of the United States

Regulate Commerce

Establish a rule of naturalization and laws on bankruptcy

Create money

Make laws to punish counterfeiting money

To establish Post Offices

Laws pertaining to copyrights/Intellectual Property

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;—And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

So basically, the constitution provides Congress with a lot of powers exclusive to them and explicitly enumerates in the Constitution, which is an anomaly. Many scholars take this as a way for the framers to suggest the idea of Legislative Supremacy, or the idea that Congress is supposed to be the most powerful branch of Congress. And this makes sense using the historical context.

The United States just got out of a nasty relationship with Britain where the monarchy reigned terror on them. So obviously, it would make sense to enumerate the most amount of powers to the branch that has the most amount of people.

Article I Section 9 outlines the following:

Clauses:

The Writ of Habeas Corpus, or the idea of due process of the law, cannot be suspended unless in cases of rebellion or if public safety requires it to be suspended

Retroactive punishment, or a law that stipulates the punishment for a crime is unconstitutional

Congress cannot arbitrarily levy taxes and cannot tax income (later resolved by the 16th amendment), and they must show how they spend the taxes they levy

Any member of congress cannot take gifts, income or any form of money without the consent of congress

This section of Article 1 is really procedural, and makes sure that Congress does not overstep its ability to make laws, because in theory -- without these restrictions -- Congress can make any law it wants, and it would, by definition of the powers enumerated to them by the Constitution, be valid and legal.

Article I Section 10 of the Constitution prohibits states from doing certain activities and outlines the following:

Clauses

States cannot enter treaties, alliances, coin money, grant titles of nobility, or make any retroactive punishments

States cannot levy tariffs or duties or any type of importation tax without the consent of Congress, and any profit made from those taxes belong to the United States treasury and not the states

States cannot declare war or independently keep troops or anything of the sort unless they are invaded or have the permission of Congress

This section is very interesting in that it really impedes the power of the states, and promotes the idea of federalism, or the idea that a central government should work with smaller, regional governments.

Conclusion

And that is Article 1 of the constitution. It’s the longest article, and some historians -- the most important one. People think the framers of the Constitution thought Congress was the most important branch of government because it is the first article to be written up, even before the presidency, and before the judicial branch of government.

Other historians think as time progresses, and we enter into a modern society that is vastly different than the time period wherein the Constitution was written, the evolving demographics and power axis is shifting more towards the presidency, and we are in a governmental age where the presidency and the executive branch is the most powerful branch of the three branches

#Constitution #review #history

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willtai3800 · 6 years ago

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The Constitution

Hi, let’s talk about the Constitution.

The Constitution is the contract that all Americans are beholden to. We base all of our laws, the workings of the federal government, and even some pieces of State governments. And now, for some background

An Outline of the Constitution

This isn’t a history class, so if you want to know how the Constitution was formed, I suggest listening to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s best-selling Broadway Original Soundtrack Hamilton, but also read up on any history textbook or use CrashCourse on YouTube to find out how we went from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution.

Anyway, the Constitution is a philosophical outline of the workings of the United States of America that was drafted by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson that outlines the following:

The structure of the United States government

The positions within that structure

The relationship of the states to the federal government

The power of the federal government in relationship to the states

The relationship of the states between the states

The rights and liberties given to the people of the United States

All of these topics will eventually be covered in this lecture series, but that is a general outline of what the Constitution is about.

The Constitution is one of the shortest constitutions in the modern world, being only about four parchment pages long, or in more modern and understandable terms -- a mere 4,500 words. It’s also the oldest Constitution that is still in use today, and that might be a testament to how effective and future proof it really is, and just how brilliant it’s framers were.

Approach

We will cover the Constitution chronologically starting with the preamble and ending with Article VIII.

So, let’s get started.

Preamble

The preamble of the constitution is one of the most famous sentences in American history.

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

The preamble essentially states the philosophy behind the constitution, and how it secures these rights to everyone through the formation of government. However, the preamble is just that -- a preamble, and in order to see how this preamble permeates through American life, we have to look into the content of the Constitution.

#Constitution #History #Review

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willtai3800 · 6 years ago

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Welcome to American History for people born between 1995 and 2013

Welcome to American History for people born between 1995 and 2013. This series is something I wish I had when navigating high school and lower level college courses regarding history and politics: readings that were concise and made sense to me. I mean, yes, historians are important to society. They teach us about the mistakes we made in the past, but are they relatable?

I would argue no, and relatability is something that makes learning easier. It lets you keep your guard down, and makes it feel less like listening to that old history teacher you had in Junior High. Anyway, dragging people through a textbook and Courier New font is not what this series is about. This series is to help you through any history class you can think of. Sure, it might not follow the guidelines of APUSH or IB HOA or even the stolen curriculum of that Gov class you’re in, but use this as a supplemental, something that will help you understand these hard, archaic things a lot easier, and to help frame them in a way that is more modern, in a way we, the people can understand (good joke, right?).

If you’re an older person that doesn’t understand humor, then I suggest you find another source to learn this stuff. While it does provide some good information, this does not necessarily provide a style that may attract you in a way that would help your learning; in fact, I would argue it would impede your learning, but alas, I cannot stop you from reading. I think this product is good for people who need a new way to learn, a way that isn��t just the dry textbook stuff they find all over class.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this series, and if you do, make sure to check me out on YouTube and stuff for more fun

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIvYJuYq7uhV9bilCeBdZ-g

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willtai3800 · 6 years ago

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Melodrama Track-By-Track Review

Green Light

This is a masterclass in tension and release. Lorde builds up the chorus with a lot of tension. It’s such a great opener because it gives a window into Lorde’s life after Pure Heroine

Sober

Jack and Jill get fucked up and possessive when it gets dark. I mean, is there anything else I can say about this song? The trumpets in the chorus that somehow come off as sparse, but it’s also full and lively. Listening to this song is like putting your mouth around a liquor wet lime

Homemade Dynamite

The pre-chorus is one of the most exciting I’ve ever heard. It’s so tense. Can we also talk about the second verse; Lorde glorifying a car crash? Who let her do this!?

The Louvre

Lorde takes the concept of the chorus and says “screw you” to it. In fact, it de-escalates from the verses literally envelops you in Lorde’s heartbeat (which is the basis of the beat in the chorus). And the fade out. Let’s talk about the fade out. She uses the phrygian C perfectly and makes you feel both sad and nostalgic as if summer slipped you underneath her tongue, as she says in the first line of the song.

Liability

This is one of those cry-your-heart-out-lonliness-at-3-AM songs. The shoddy recording of the piano really adds to the effect of Lorde just playing this song at 3 AM in her own bedroom, recording it with her phone.

Hard Feelings/Loveless

Let’s just talk about the post chorus when the instrumental comes in. I honestly don’t know how they made the sounds for the counter melody. My best guess would probably be just tapping the microphone really hard or in a weird way to create that seesaw sound, and they probably took a mic and played with the strings on a piano to make the other sound. Anyway, I usually hate two songs in one track, but this one works brilliantly, if only because of the transition, but it also shows Lorde’s emotional transition from heartbroken to literally shouting “L-O-V-E-L-E-S-S generation/’all fucking with our lovers heads’ generation” Believe it or not, this is one of the weaker tracks on the album

Sober II (Melodrama)

Some critics have argued this album is a concept album revolving around Lorde at a weekend party and waking up the morning after and dealing with solitude. I would have to agree with that sentiment, and this is where that vision really takes shape. Lorde sings with this fake bravado about how all that shit she did in the beginning of the album, all that partying, all that summer fling stuff, it was only “Melodrama” and how “they’ll talk about us/all the lovers, how we kiss and kill each other.” Not only are the lyrics reflective of the superficiality of relationships in young adult years, but Lorde takes a really solemn production of orchestral strings and piano and turns it on its head with a hiphop/trap beat halfway through the song. It’s really quite genius, and to me sits in the pantheon of the top 20 songs ever

Writer in the Dark

“Bet you rue the day you kissed a writer in the dark” exclaims Lorde, only to be followed by the most vulnerable falsettos known to music. In a simultaneously guttural scream and wretched cry, Lorde screams “but in the darkest hour, I stumbled on a secret power, I’ll find a way to be without you babe.” It’s so heart wrenching, it’s physically almost painful to play any other track after because it’s almost impossible to fathom how someone could move on from this kind of pain

Supercut

I remember reading an article about Lorde and the writing of this song. She took cues from Robyn, and her satisfying use of the gated reverb, and how there’s an almost innate feeling of a song feeling right. This is that song. She somehow successfully captured the spirit of Robyn while also being completely herself. Lyrically, this song is about the memories with an ex in the face of solitude. “In my head I do everything right/when you call, I forgive and not fight/because ours are the moments we play in the dark/we were wild and fluorescent come home to my heart” It’s so simple and so straightforward, there’s no two ways about it. As for the fade out, I generally despise fade outs. I usually think it’s a cop out or a way to really let a song overstay its welcome. But it works, and it’s only because of the song that follows

Liability (Reprise)

This is the climax of the song for Lorde. It’s the realization for her that the guy she hooked up with at the party, the summer fling, the superficial relationship she had, all the bad shit was just that: bad shit and nothing more. She whispers in the sharpest way possible “you’re not worth/what you thought you were.” She’s taking that power back, and she’s not letting a bad party or some stupid guy allow her to cower in fear of her own solitude; instead she takes control of it and uses it as a weapon, or as Tyrion Lannister would say, as armor to make sure that nobody can use it against her from this point forward.

Perfect Places

This song to me holds a very sacred place in my heart. I generally put it on the altar of “greatest songs ever conceived.” It’s not something I usually do, but there’s something about this song. Maybe its the way the gated reverb in the background somehow wraps everything this album stands for and puts a neat little bow on top of it. No, maybe it’s the piano in the middle of the first verse that mimics the cadence of Lorde’s voice when she says in an almost ironic tone “but when we’re dancing I’m alright.” But wait, maybe it’s that perfect pre chorus at the end where she says “if they keep telling me where to go/I’ll blow my brains out to the radio (ch ch).” No thats not it. What about the chorus which oozes of existential angst when she says “all of the things we’re takin’/cuz we are young and we’re ashamed/sent us to perfect places.” No…. what about the entire idea of our “heroes fading,” and now “we cant stand to be alone.” No, what makes this song so special to me, what makes this song an almost religious experience is the end of the song, when, despite all of the pain and heartache, and the constant searching of a perfect place, Lorde yells in the most maverick tone “all the nights spent off our faces/tryna find these perfect places/what the fuck are perfect places, anyway?” Yes, that's it. It’s finding meaning in the inherently meaningless, it’s epitomizing what Camus postulated in The Myth of Sisyphus. It’s a 21st century spin on the human condition spoken in the most candid way by the artist of our generation.

This album is one of the greats, as I have said multiple times. It’s just Lorde and Jack Antonoff, being their very best selves and putting an almost perfect piece of work. Thank you, Melodrama.

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