True constitutional conservatives don’t ask, “Does the Constitution keep me from doing X?”.  Instead, they examine whether the Constitution explicitly lays out that X is permitted.

On a recent Uncommon Knowledge, constitutional scholars Richard Epstein and John Yoo have a feisty conversation with Peter Robinson on the likelihood of the Supreme Court striking down Obamacare, its political implications, and the general rule of law in our country.

They ask whether an individual mandate is constitutional – can the government force citizens to purchase health insurance?   In other words, can the government compel people into the marketplace?  If so, what’s the stopping point?  Pretty soon they’ll be telling us what we can eat, what car we have to buy and that we need to exercise a certain number of minutes per week.  Where is the individual liberty in that?

Yoo and Epstein discuss the potential fallout from the decision, whether Romneycare is constitutional, and whether the Federal Government has the right to coerce states using grant money.  Outside of health care, they speculate on the 2012 court, censorship and the FCC.

Check out the full episode, here:

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Is Europe worse off than the United States economically? If the EU does collapse, will it take another form? Is the Green Movement based on junk science?

In a recent interview, James Delingpole provides a different perspective on the future of the EU and the dangers of the modern Green Movement.

While many people originally thought creating a European super-state would avert war, James Delingpole believes it has had the opposite effect. “Like the Titanic, the ship is doomed,” he explains. A journalist for the London Daily Telegraph and The Spectator, Delingpole asserts that Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron has been a disaster for conservatives – no Margaret Thatcher by any means.

In his recent book, Watermelons: The Green Movement’s True Colors, Delingpole argues that the Green Movement is the “greatest threat Western Civilization has ever known.” With activists taking the moral high ground, and scientists distorting scientific facts, the circumstances are dangerous. President Obama has neglected to look at the cost-benefit analysis of the Green Movement, and has wasted $38.6 billion of taxpayer money by investing in clean energy start-ups.

So is the EU destined to decline? And is the Green Movement a dangerous ideology? To hear explanations for these questions and more, watch the full interview below.

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Is the United States government considered a republic?

Paul Rahe thinks so – and asserts, “The modern nation state is an attempt to capture what the ancient Greeks and Romans had.”

Our federal government has gone through a massive shift in the last six decades, leaving us with less public discourse and more control at the federal level – which Paul Rahe argues has left Americans feeling anxious with no way to influence the government.

In our most recent episode, Paul Rahe, Charles O. Lee and Louise K. Lee Chair in Western Heritage at Hillsdale College, compares the US government to the ancient republics and explores how this applies to our current place in history.

The US Constitution has been co-opted to shield government agencies from the public. As a result, we now have a consolidated government with far too much control over private institutions. The recent developments in the EPA and the new regulations set up for ObamaCare are just a few easy examples of the extreme federal overreach coming out of the Obama Administration.

What’s the good news? Rahe argues that the administrative entitlement state is coming to an end.

To hear more about the past, present, and future role of the federal government, watch the full interview below.

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“One of Barack Obama’s great gifts is the ability to say things that are absolutely absurd and make them sound not only plausible, but inspiring.”

President Obama is spreading poverty – not wealth – around the country by attacking the people who are creating wealth in the first place. As economist Thomas Sowell argues, raising taxes only encourages people to keep their wealth and jobs overseas. Barack Obama’s belief that individuals in certain professions should be taxed less than others is nothing more than clever ludicrousness.

In our recent episode, Thomas Sowell, Rose and Milton Friedman Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution, discusses everything from his life, the President, and class warfare to similarities between Marxists and Occupy Wall Street protestors. In this interview, Sowell reflects on the leading Republicans of our time and the Tea Party’s ability to restore sanity in Washington next year.

Has Barack Obama’s time in office surprised you? Sowell isn’t surprised at all – he explains that “Barack Obama has followed policies which have ruined the economy. He has followed foreign policies that have emboldened our enemies.” While Obama takes credit for killing Osama bin Laden, in reality special ops forces found and killed him based on interrogations at Guantanamo.  Interrogations which the President vehemently opposed throughout his campaign.

To learn more about Thomas Sowell’s political insights and his recent book, The Thomas Sowell Reader, watch the full interview below.

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The Declaration and the Constitution have been thrown out the window by the Obama Administration.

There’s no doubt that these are two of the most impressive and influential documents in history.  The founding fathers of our country provided a framework for democracy that has stood the test of time. And yet when it comes to actual governing, that framework seems to have been forgotten.  It deserves to be revisited.

On our most recent episode, Larry Arnn, president of Hillsdale College, asserts, “Our government needs to have a different character than it does today.” In the interview, Larry Arnn evaluates whether or not Paul Ryan’s plan and George W. Bush’s foreign policy decisions would be considered “constitutional” from a technical standpoint. And he expresses concern that the quality of our government is diminishing with each passing second.

What do you think?  Should politicians strictly abide by the principles laid out by the Declaration and the Constitution? Is the President?  What about your favorite candidate – are his or her positions in adherence to our Constitution?

To hear Larry Arnn’s interpretation of modern politics and more, watch the full interview below.

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“Approximately one-fourth of government spending goes towards healthcare.” And it is our responsibility to fix a broken system.

What’s the first step? The full repeal of ObamaCare.

Congressman Paul Ryan argues that what is needed is increased choice and competition in healthcare. It’s time to turn ideas into policy, and transition from a benefit-oriented system to a market-based system.

So what is stopping us from repealing ObamaCare?  Many people recognize that Obama’s health care law is inherently flawed.  In fact, ObamaCare even dismantles basic programs related to health savings laws.

Paul Ryan, representing Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District, met with Hoover Institution to discuss why Obama’s health care law isn’t working and why we need to replace it. To hear more of Paul Ryan’s argument, watch the full episode below.

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Why are so many scientific experts atheists? Is it because of their desire for power, their sole acceptance of physical theories, or mere denial?

Contrary to what many people think, science and religion are not always mutually exclusive. Many laws of the universe are actually consistent with Judeo-Christian beliefs.

In his recent book, The Devil’s Delusion: Atheism and Its Scientific Pretensions, Dr. David Berlinski challenges everything from Darwin’s Theory of Evolution to the Big Bang Theory. Do these theories lack sufficient evidence? Interestingly, Berlinski identifies a conspiracy among members of the academic world as the reason for evolution’s popularity.

How can we answer the question of what exists? If there were a God, how could the Holocaust have happened? To hear answers to these difficult questions and more, watch the full interview below.

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It’s widely known that the media has a liberal bias. But how do we prove it exists?

Tim Groseclose, political scientist and Professor of American Politics at the University of California at Los Angeles, has proven that this liberal bias does in fact exist. His method – called “Political Quotient” – uses statistical research to compare media outlets and the political leanings of Americans.

How liberal is the media? In his book, Left Turn: How Liberal Media Bias Distorts the American Mind, Groseclose reveals which media companies are more liberal than others. After examining 20 news outlets, 15 were more liberal than the average American. Surprisingly, the Wall Street Journal was not excluded from having a liberal bias.

Does the media’s liberal bias affect how people vote? Without a doubt. Groseclose argues that media bias “aids democratic candidates 8 to 10 percentage points in general elections.”

To learn more about how to combat and expose liberal media bias, watch the full interview below.

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“By the middle of the 21^st century, the output of China and India will account for almost 60 percent. The US and Europe by then will each account for 10 percent. It will be a very different world in terms of economic power.”

Michael Spence, Nobel Prize winner and professor of Economics at NYU, discusses the factors that led to the United States’ rise to power, and the causes of its economic and political downfall. Michael Spence argues that growth in the developing world is no longer an economic issue, but a governance issue.  And despite China’s rapid state-led growth, he asserts that “democracy is still alive.”

How will the US respond to rising powers like China and India? In The Next Convergence: The Future of Economic Growth in a Multispeed World, Michael Spence predicts that the US will lose its dominance but will persevere, much like the British after the Industrial Revolution. Global power is not a zero sum game.

To learn more about the future economic and political power of the US, China, and India, watch the full interview below.

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Big Government’s very own Andrew Breitbart stopped by our studio recently to discuss his latest book, Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World.   Check out the episode below to learn more about his days as a liberal parrot and how his father-in-law’s suggestion to actually listen to Rush Limbaugh helped him see the light of day.

It was after a few months of listening that Breitbart discovered that (shocker!) Rush was not a racist, sexist homophobe, but in fact a journalist who, using AM radio of all things, spent every day painting a vivid picture of the Democrat Media Complex.  Rush was analyzing the source material of the world (NY Times, NBC, etc) and exposing it as the front line of the political battle.  Main stream media used “objectivity” as their greatest weapon.

Breitbart goes on to describe the new media revolution (starting with Matt Drudge in 1995) and explain his hope for the future.  He wants the center-right nation to fight for its soul.  To commit to the battle in the media with the same force and excellence as NPR and Jon Stewart.

Andrew talks about co-creating the Huffington Post so that the left would have a home online (and grant source material to conservatives).  And when asked who’s winning, he admits that while the Left still controls the money, the Right is winning tactically.  His goal with every story is to aim it straight at MSM, to dare them to cover his news.  And it seems to be working.

Check out the full interview, here.

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Does affordable housing require rent control?  No.  Not even in Manhattan.  And in fact, it is no coincidence that the cities with the most rent control (NYC and San Francisco) also have the highest rent.  There is no incentive on the account of the landlords and tenants to build more housing or improve worn out units.

Does race account for differences in income?  Is the “fatherless family” amongst African Americans a legacy of slavery?  Is household income a good indicator of the state of our economy?  No, no, and no.

Uncommon Knowledge all-star Thomas Sowell returns to talk about his latest edition of Economic Facts and Fallacies, and continues his legacy as refreshingly straightforward and clear on economic issues.

To learn more about income equality, race and economics, and the reasons for Thomas Sowell’s persistent pessimism, watch the full interview below.

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The introduction of the GI Bill following WWII transformed college education.  Universities were no longer a possibility for only the upper class.  Instead, people from all walks of life were given the opportunity to further their education.  Now, college is an expectation of the middle class.  Kids graduate from high school and don’t consider whether or not to go to college.  They just go.

On a recent episode, Andrew Ferguson, author and senior editor at The Weekly Standard, discusses his latest book, Crazy U: One Dad’s Crash Course in Getting His Kid into College.

Ferguson talks about the intense salesmanship each university partakes in – selling a lifestyle and an environment (along with, of course, an education) to graduating seniors.  One of their most significant marketing tools is the US News and World Report rankings .  Schools pretend to hate them, and yet fall all over themselves to move up the chart.

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During President Obama’s first two years in office, we have seen him do nothing but fumble on the world stage.  He often seems to sit back and watch major changes occur – making no effort to be a part of the solution or reassert America’s position in the state of world affairs.

Bruce Thornton, a professor of classics and humanities, joins us to discuss his book, “The Wages of Appeasement: Ancient Athens, Munich, and Obama’s America.”

His ultimate advice for the President?  Listen to what Islamists say, and believe they meant it.  We cannot bribe them–with education, money or democracy–because they will never trade spiritual things for physical things.  Ultimately, he argues that there will be no resolution outside of force.

Thornton also discusses the downfall of the democratic city-states of Ancient Greece, who, because of the “destructive pursuit of short term self-interest,” were unable to unify against a common threat.  Thornton argues that for a democracy to survive it must maintain civic virtue – character that is worthy of freedom.

The topic of appeasement draws some disturbing parallels between Chamberlain and Hitler and many of our modern politicians.  Pacifism and internationalism weren’t just popular movements in the 1930s and 1940s.  Remember, internationalism is defined as the idea that it is possible to create harmony of interest and solve all problems through diplomacy.   Sound familiar?

Watch the full episode here:

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In an episode that will air next week, Mitch Daniels responds to his conservative critics on social issues and defense cuts.  He responds in two ways.  First, while Daniels believes that liberals are the primary aggressors on social issues, he says his truce is meant for both sides.  Second, he says it is about winning elections. “Freedom will need every friend it can get,” he says.  He wants Republicans to succeed in 2012 so they can save America from fiscal disaster.  He admits that challenging Obama will be a tough fight and that Republicans will need voters outside the “values block.”

Daniels has angered many Republicans with his political priorities.  Just this week, five Republican presidential hopefuls at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition and blasted Daniels as completely and irreparably wrong on social issues.  The Wall Street Journal’s Bill McGurn raked Daniels over the coals calling him clueless and out of touch with conservative ideals.

Daniels explains that his call for a truce is a tactical decision.  One made with the understanding that no other issue will matter if America goes broke.

In addition to social issues, Daniels raises conservative ire by putting the defense budget on the chopping block.  Although he worked for two Presidents who had a “peace through strength” foreign policy, Daniels argues financing the defense budget with foreign money is wrongheaded.  He says, “We have not been in this bind before.  We have not been as broke as we are, or are about to be.”  Failing to resolve our financial woes now, he says, will cripple our defense in the end anyway.

While many fellow Republicans are up in arms, Daniels seems to be in line with public opinion.  A recent WSJ/NBC poll found that nearly two thirds of Republican primary voters would be more likely to vote for a candidate that believes the focus should be on the economy and the deficit rather than social issues.  Perhaps the governor is on to something?

Watch the trailer for next week’s episode here:

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The welfare state isn’t going anywhere.  The current debate is, as our recent guest William Voegeli argues, simply “narcissism of small differences.”  It will surely mean a nasty fight, but it won’t end with any dramatic changes to the public’s philosophy of government and what it is meant to do or provide.  The truth is – people like getting stuff.  And politicians have no incentive to be clear about how the welfare state works.  Instead, they are comfortable with the vast majority of the public fundamentally misunderstanding social security and welcome the welfare state’s ability to buy off voters.

Why so pessimistic?  As Voegeli argues in the episode below, “liberal victories advance liberalism.  Conservative victories postpone liberalism.”  Even in the reign of the Republican Party from 1980 – 2007 (where the GOP controlled any combination of the White House, House and Senate), the cost of the welfare state ballooned 77%.

No one under the age of 45 has any memory of government being organized any differently  – FDR’s New Deal and LBJ’s Great Society fundamentally changed the intellectual framework for our government,  We went from a limited constitutional government to a more energetic, powerful government that can (try to) solve people’s problems.   Voegeli, while submitting to the reality of a continued welfare state, argues that the GOP needs to find a welfare state that we can live with and admire.  One that creates a social safety net that actually helps those who really need it, without propping up and enabling those that don’t and/or spending money that we simply do not have.

For a historical look at the creation of the welfare state, its growth and continuation (and thoughts on what to do about it), watch Voegeli’s full episode below:

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President Obama’s cult of personality and feel-good message of “change” allowed him to sail through the 2008 campaign without being thoroughly vetted by the press.  No one took the time to delve into his past and look at his influences, his actions, or his political theory.  And when something did come up, the press allowed him to skate on by rather than press him for real information (Jeremiah Wright, anyone?).

Recent guest  Stanley Kurtz decided to do what the press failed to do – take an honest look at Obama’s politics.   His investigation resulted in Radical-in-Chief: Barack Obama and the Untold Story of American Socialism. In this episode, Kurtz discusses the many socialist influences in Obama’s life, from his college years to his time as a community organizer, with men such as Bill Ayers, Frank Marshal Davis, and Jeremiah Wright.

In examining Obama’s main mentors, Kurtz begins to see a clear ideology that motivates the President’s disdain for the middle class, take-no-prisoners approach to passing socialized healthcare, reluctance to discuss political theory and desire for, ultimately, a socialist revolution.

Here is the full episode, you won’t want to miss it:

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What does the Constitution really say about the most controversial policy decisions of the present day?  What arguments against Obamacare have potential in court, and which are DOA?

Constitutional law experts Richard Epstein and John Yoo joined us  to discuss these very issues.  They examine the constitutionality of Obacamare through the lens of the “encroachment” argument (which has potential) and the “general welfare” argument, which they argue won’t work.

We also discuss CA’s Prop 8 and Judge Walker’s ruling that it violates the equal protection and due process laws in the Constitution. Yoo argues that the “right to gay marriage” is a new and invented right, and that while he is okay with gay marriage as a policy matter, a judicially imposed rule that overturns the majority of voters isn’t the way to get it done.  Instead, Judge Walker essentially says that the majority of Californians are bigots .

Epstein and Yoo provide predictions for Supreme Court decisions, reflect on Bush v. Gore (ten years later!), and discuss the Supreme Court under John Roberts.

Here is the full episode:

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“If the average citizen understood economics as well as it was understood by economists 200 years ago, most of the nonsense that’s done in Washington would be impossible politically.”

Our Uncommon Knowledge all-star guest, economist Thomas Sowell, joins us to talk Basic Economics.  He argues that Congress cannot help the economy recover, but instead needs to “let the economy recover.”  The so-called financial crisis wasn’t a financial crisis at all.  It was a housing crisis that overflowed into the financial world.  Congress’s meddling, by making new rules to increase homeownership and access to mortgages, was a primary reason that the housing crisis even existed at all.

Sowell goes on to discuss the disaster that is the Federal Reserve, the irrefutable truth that tax cuts lead to tax revenue (therefore invalidating the “we can’t afford tax cuts” argument), and the misconception that our health care system pre-Obamacare was broken.

He expresses frustration at the lack of articulate Republicans (although seems to be quite the Chris Christie fan!) and little belief that the US will maintain its status as the world’s greatest economy.

Watch the full episode below.

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The U.S. economy grew incredibly from 1983 to 2008. And then it all collapsed. What happened?

Nobel Prize winning economist and University of Chicago professor Gary Becker weighs in on the state of the US economy.  He gives the Bush Administration mixed reviews, but finds the current response of the U.S. Federal Reserve to the crisis troubling.

He argues that ObamaCare is a bad bill – it will increase costs and not address the real problems in the system (being that health care is employer based and out-of-pocket expenses are too low).   Now, small businesses will be taxed if they don’t provide health care, forcing many businesses to take the tax to avoid the liability and cost of employer-provided care.

Lastly, Becker, like many Americans, is optimistic about the future not because of the power of government, but because of his faith in the American people.  He says, “What I trust with the American people is that they have always had a lot of common sense. … And I think most Americans believe, and I think they are correct in that belief, that the private sector has shown that it performs better overall, not 100 percent, but…a lot better overall than the public sector does.”

Here is the full episode:

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Our latest guest is British Member of the European Parliament Daniel Hannan, who came to wide acclaim for his stripping down of then Prime Minister Gordon Brown:

“The truth, Prime Minister, is that you have run out of our money … you cannot carry on forever squeezing the productive bit of the economy in order to fund an unprecedented engorgement of the unproductive bit. You cannot spend your way out of recession or borrow your way out of debt. And when you repeat, in that wooden and perfunctory way, that our situation is better than others, that we’re ‘well-placed to weather the storm’, I have to tell you that you sound like a Brezhnev-era apparatchik giving the party line… And soon the voters too will get their chance to say so. They can see what the markets have already seen: that you are the devalued Prime Minister of a devalued government.”

To hear what he has to say about politics in America and the Tea Party movement, health care and the Europeanization of the US, the decline of the family unit and America’s role as the world’s only superpower, watch our full interview below.

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