Right is still right, even if you stand by yourself.

This is Hans von Spakovsky, and you're listening to Case in Point.

The title of our episode today is the Constitution turns 238.

September 17, 2025, will be the 238th birthday of the United States Constitution.

It was signed in 1787, but did not actually go into effect, wasn't ratified until the following year when New Hampshire was the ninth of the 13 original states to ratify the convention,

the Constitution. There were 70 delegates appointed originally to attend the

constitutional convention, but only 55 attended. It lasted for four months from May

through September. And of those 55 delegates, only 37, I think,

actually, sorry, 39, actually ended up signing it. Now, the convention originally was

simply supposed to revise the articles of Confederation, but James Madison,

often referred to as the father constitution, and Alexander Hamilton, who was always famous,

but has become even more famous in recent years because of a Hollywood musical, actually led

the convention in coming up with a totally

new governmental structure for the United States.

This was probably, I think, actually one of the greatest documents ever written in human

history when it comes to the organization of a government.

And in fact, William Gladstone, the Prime Minister of England in 1787, said that it was

the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man.

Heritage is now about to launch its third edition of the Heritage Guide to the Constitution,

which is a very detailed explanation of every single provision in it. And the editor of that,

along with John Malcolm, is Josh Blackman, who is our guest here today. He's a professor at South Texas

College of Law, and he holds the centennial chair of constitutional law. Actually, Josh,

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