Constitutional Commentary articles from December 2006

Constitutional Commentary archives from December 2006

Presidential signing statements and executive power.
December 22, 2006... A recent debate about the Bush administration's use of presidential signing statements has raised questions about their function, legality, and value. We argue that presidential signing statements are legal and that they provide a useful way...

Taxes, conscience, and the Constitution.
December 22, 2006... I. TAX EXPENDITURES AND THE CLAIMS OF CONSCIENCE Al Agnostic and Betty Basic are neighbors--and citizens. They are also taxpayers. As humans, they do not especially relish paying taxes, but as citizens they understand that taxes are a civic...

The Constitution and the annexation of Texas.
December 22, 2006... I. INTRODUCTION The annexation of Texas was by any standard a pivotal moment in the political history of the United States. The decision to add Texas to the Union was either directly or indirectly responsible for the acquisition of all of...

Hamdan's limits and the Military Commissions Act.
December 22, 2006... On June 29, 2006, the Supreme Court by a 5-3 vote in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (1) set aside President Bush's November 13, 2001 order (2) providing for trial by military commission of non-citizens believed to be associated with the al Qaeda terrorist...

Beyond Camelot: Rethinking Politics and Law for the Modern State.(Book review)
December 22, 2006... BEYOND CAMELOT: RETHINKING POLITICS AND LAW FOR THE MODERN STATE. By Edward L. Rubin. (1) Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2005. Pp. 471. $45.00. In Beyond Camelot, Edward Rubin advances what seems like a pretty radical program. He...