The 226th anniversary of the ratification of the United States Constitution was acknowledged on campus through a lecture on its relevance.
With about 40 students arriving at the Student Union Theater last Wednesday at 11 a.m., Dr. William Robison, the head of the history and political sciences department, kicked off the lecture by introducing the speaker and his former student, Dr. Tim Chauvin.
The topic of the lecture was the question of the flexibility of the Constitution, whether or not it should be considered alive or dead and the conflict between these two modes of thinking. Chauvin shared the results of a survey, which claimed the majority of Americans knew more about “The Simpsons” than the content of the Constitution. He proceeded to illustrate references to the first, fifth and eighth amendments within the animated series.
After that, Chauvin examined the two contrasting philosophies involving the Constitution. Those who consider the Constitution to be a static document are deemed originalists. Originalism subscribes to the idea that the Constitution should be used based on the intents of the men who wrote it over 200 years ago. Chauvin showed a clip from an interview with originalist Justice Antonin Scalia on “60 Minutes” who counts himself among those with the originalist mindset. Within the clip, Scalia shared his disdain for the term “dead constitution,” since that sounded negative compared to “living document.”
Chauvin also described the opposing point of view taken by most liberals: that the Constitution should adapt to the needs and beliefs of modern times. He brought up how some choose to rebuff originalists by pointing out that “We the People” originally referred to white, land-owning men, excluding everyone else.
According to Chauvin’s lecture, this debate began during George Washington’s administration in the late 18th century when Alexander Hamilton sought to open a First National Bank. He got into a conflict with Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, both of whom did not think that constitutional. Hamilton believed the Constitution should be flexible and ended up winning the battle.
Chauvin believes this debate and the Constitution itself should be of high importance to young people on campus.
“I think all of it is [relevant to students] as far as the Constitution being part of how the government operates,” said Chauvin. “People are going to have a belief system associated with the Constitution related to their political affiliation, usually. The two-party system comes from the opposing views of the Constitution, the way you view it as being living or being dead. [Things such as] the ruling of the Supreme Court will affect [everyone].”
For more information on upcoming events affiliated with the department of history and political sciences, check out the department’s page on the university’s website.