Saturday, July 29, 2023

Introduction to the Constitution with Hillsdale College Professor Larry P. Arnn Videos 11-12

 Introduction to the Constitution with Hillsdale College Professor Larry P. Arnn Videos 11-12

https://online.hillsdale.edu/course-list


Video 11: The Problem with Big Government


Explores the question: Does the Founders’ constitution enable the American people-by means of its systems of representative government-meet the new and pressing problems of today without compromising its fundamental principles?


-great challenge to the Constitution posed by proponents of big government, in light of the many complicated problems of the modern world

-The FDA -food and drug administration and national institute for health are unconstitutional

-argument is that they are for the general welfare-Alexander Hamilton

-if government can do what they want in the name of general welfare then where are the limits to the government and what they can do

-makes the case for limited government

-FDA, EPA, national institute of health are necessary but not in the Constitution

-drug companies make money so not cautious without some regulations?

-government was 10% of the economy-most stayed in the state-local levels

-now regulatory state is now 50% of the economy

-number of laws made in the congress 

-over time government has gotten really big

-environmental regulation through agencies and government regulations

-public needs fits into the constitution-article 1 section 8 in Constitution that states-says government can tax and spend-general welfare- Madison argues that clause is badly written-pay off the debts the states had accrued-as long as the debt was in the general cause-during revolutionary war-not to be expanded like today

-government supreme authority but only during national purposes-unspoken part is that national political purposes- things need to be done for the nation to be a free nation and well governed

-limits on government and they mean something-so can’t be breached because then we become a liberal society-transformation of our government with 50% of supreme authority


 transformation of Government


-almost all laws are made in a different way not in the Congress

-90% of laws are made by regulatory agencies 

-Regulatory agencies also enforce the laws 

-Regulatory agencies hear and adjudicate disputes concerning those laws 

-3 branches of government are united into one single hand as they are in the hands of the maker/creator of the declaration of independence 

-we have hundreds of law making bodies

-making technical laws that no one knows what they are

-become so large now that becomes a factor in the politics of the country

-almost a separate interest

-the government has become its own separate interest




Video 12: The Problem with Progressivism


Final problem: progressivism asserts a new view of the purpose of American government


political philosophy seeks to replace founding principles-such as equality, consent of the governed, and separation of powers


-with belief that all ideas are true only in the contexts in which they develop

-As a result, progressives believe the universal and timeless claims of the declaration of independence, which serve as the foundation of American constitutionalism, are not longer true or relevant today

19th century-school of thought-called progressivism


-each era changes so need to change with it

-move to new views so new ways of thinking all together

-problem is these progressives views are that the declaration of independence is obsolete 

-they say it was good for that time-but not what it says-it is good for all times (that is the battle)

-if it is false now it was false then- if true then it is true now

-rewind: declaration of independence as final cause-Lincoln-every nation has a central idea which all minor thoughts radiate-does this new revolutionized kind of government designed to serve the principles the same principles-as the old kind-is it after something different? 

-negative rights-can’t be stopped from doing things

-positive rights- you get  stuff

-agencies fulfill those needs = should feed people

-bring the full power of the national government to bare on this urgent problem

-Reagan-time for choosing speech-he brings the part of big government to bare as an urgent problem 

-we used to help the poor locally, but now it is regulated

-local churches and community groups who generally looked after the general welfare of the people

-entitlement programs lead to dependence

-Reference called the Constitution reader-written by most people who don’t like the constitution at all

-John Dewey (1859-1952) argument of the new world

-as the world changes it changes how we think

-those principles in the declaration of independence was fit for pioneering society, so a back then thought process

-legislation is much more powerful

ex.-nice idea to cure cancer-but then make babies more cyber like-how far is too far! 

-Stephen Hawking said humans will be unrecognizable in 200 years as they have remade themselves with the loss of all humanness

-old idea-human-capable of good things says the federalist but capable of really bad things

-government used to be biased on the good things we could do so limited but just strong enough so we don’t harm each other 

-don’t give it absolute power-men are not angels-god not send angels to send men to govern people

-new view-look how much more we can do by using these techniques-get these checks and balances out of the way-stop this set of government that hampers and restrains

-past-separate sovereignty and power

-give discretion so then agencies will abuse it because it is run by humans


2 problems:

-John Dewey-taught Declaration of Independence is for old times but not relevant for today’s society 

-timeless universal truths are not relevant today

-human beings have the capacity to dominant one other other-nature- nature doesn’t change

-fallenness of human beings = arrangement of government

-arrange child or society any way you want to what standard would you use

Ex. Hitler wanted no Jews

-exclude nature-God-we take control as gods-what do you mean by better?

-problems come up in society but there are suspicious concentration of  powers



You can’t legislate morality-but today morality is always being legislated 


-All laws are imposition of morality

-All laws reflect someone’s opinion of what is good and bad, punished or not punished, 

-Christians should not be ashamed to be part of the debate but insist on it

-Christians' morality are told not part of the laws, but it is a lie-not scriptural-not in Constitution

-George Washington, father of our country, president of the convention that gave us our Constitution

-it is essential and necessary for our government to listen to God’s eternal word 

-stop allowing secular culture demands to silence the church

-stop apologizing for proclaiming the truth  “thus saith the Lord”  in matters of public policy

-theological debate-what government is allowed and not allowed to do?

-everyone is appealing to God when making laws-either a false god or the one true God


praises to God, sing praises; Sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with a skillful psalm. God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne. The princes of the people have assembled themselves as the people of the God of Abraham, For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted” (Psalms 47: 6-9).