This is CBSI on the world. I'm John Batson, the American Constitution, the envy of all the states

around the world, and yet doubts. I welcome Bradford P. Wilson. James Wilson, distinguished visiting

scholar at the Center for Constitutional Studies, Utah Valley University,

writing at Civitas Outlook for Civitas Institute at the University of Texas about two books,

two men who have a different view of the Constitution to say the least.

Yovall Levine and Erwin Chammarinsky We're looking at one says yes to the Constitution. The other says

time to put it away. Professor, a very good evening to you as you begin your essay very helpfully.

And it's playful, too. Couldn't be more opposite here. If we're not looking at 180 degrees, we're certainly looking at 179.

Would you present first the, let's improve the Constitution, Yovall Levine?

What's his major driving force?

Dr. Levin is a someone who is grateful for the document that the framers gave us over 200 years ago.

And he has very few criticisms of the document.

He thinks, as far as a man-made thing, it's one of the more impressive achievements in human history.

And so what he's most concerned about is not the Constitution itself, which he thinks is doing what it was supposed to do.

It's with the institutions that the Constitution erected.

He thinks that the three branches of government have all somewhat strayed from the purposes for which they were framed.

And so he has a lot of suggestions just for how to improve how Congress works, getting courts to obey the law, not make the law, getting the executive branch out of policymaking so much and back into executing the laws made by Congress.

He thinks that's a pretty good system when it works well.

And that's what his book is trying to get us to think about.

Let's go back.

Let's look at the original arguments for the Constitution from particularly James Madison and Alexander Hamilton and appropriate their thought for our own time because they were, in fact,

wiser than we are.

...