For those joining the conversation mid-stream, this is the third in a series of posts introducing some themes of “The Constitution: An Introduction,” my new book co-authored with my son, Luke Paulsen.

America’s long, sordid affair with nullification. Historical amnesia is as dangerously disorienting for a nation as for an individual. So it is with the current wave of enthusiasm for “states’ rights, ...

In the early 19th century, Thomas Jefferson’s doctrines of nullification and interposition were used quite often. Most Americans will shake their heads and say, “Never heard of this,” but a brief look ...

Texas Gov. Rick Perry talks about seceding from the Union, and he is echoed by Sarah Palin – to the cheers of adoring crowds. Texas gubernatorial candidate Deborah Medina, going even further than even ...

Fifty years after its last high-water mark in American life, the dubious doctrine of interposition is back in vogue. Once offered up in vain by desperate southern leaders as a legal justification for ...

The U.S. Supreme Court building. (Jacquelyn Martin, The Associated Press) Almost every semester in one of my courses at LSU, I discuss Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. There's a ...

"The Constitution: An Introduction" was published this month by Basic Books. For those joining the conversation mid-stream, this is the third in a series of posts introducing some themes of "The ...