Constitutional Trivia: What Could Be More Fun?!

Here are 9 curious facts you may not be aware of regarding the Constitution:

1. The U.S. Constitution is the shortest national constitution in the world at 4,400 words.
2. Over 11,000 amendments to the Constitution have been proposed, only 27 have been ratified.
3. Benjamin Franklin was the oldest signer of the constitution at 81. He died at age 84.
4. George Washington initially proposed a ‘day of thanks’ or Thanksgiving Day as a way to honor the Constitution.
5. While drafting, the Constitution included a clause that would abolish slavery 20 years after its implementation.
6. Only 12 of the 13 colonies were present during the drafting of the Constitution. Rhode Island did not want to participate and was the last to sign on May 29, 1790.
7. Independence Hall, where the Constitution was signed, is also where the Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation were signed several years earlier.
8. The iconic first words of the Constitution, ‘We the people of the United States,’ originally listed each individual state from north to south instead of ‘the United States.’
9. Gouverneur Morris, a delegate from Pennsylvania is usually credited as the ‘Penman of the Constitution.’ Actually, a man named Jacob Shallus – assistant clerk of the Pennsylvania State Assembly – penned most of the document.

From https://ivn.us/2014/09/17/little-known-facts-about-the-us-constitution-for-constitution-day/

Non-partisan Political Jokes

FYI: Don’t ever think it’s easy to find non-partisan jokes about politics! Enjoy…

I just saved a ton of money on my Christmas shopping by expressing my political views on facebook.

If Donald Trump runs for president in 2024 I’m leaving the country (not a political post – I just love to travel!)

Good thing I don’t see any political posts on my news feed
*In fact, my Myspace friends haven’t really posted much since 2010

I won first place in a political correctness competition the weekend…
*Though to be fair, so did everyone else

Why did the political theory class think their teacher was being unfair?
*He gave the whole class the same Marx

Among all the politically incorrect jokes on this sub, here’s my favorite:
*Benjamin Franklin was a great American President

You know the problem with political jokes?
*Sometimes they get elected

I told my friend that I never knew that Rage Against the Machine was so political, and that it really ruined the music for me.
*He looked at me deadpan and asked, “What machine did you think they were raging against, the dishwasher?

THIS DAY IN HISTORY, Aug. 3, 1914: Germany and France Declare War on Each Other

On the afternoon of August 3, 1914, two days after declaring war on Russia, Germany declares war on France, moving ahead with a long-held strategy, conceived by the former chief of staff of the German army, Alfred von Schlieffen, for a two-front war against France and Russia. Hours later, France makes its own declaration of war against Germany, readying its troops to move into the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine, which it had forfeited to Germany in the settlement that ended the Franco-Prussian War in 1871.

(From History.com: Read more…)

Dr. Baumgartner’s New Research on “Public Support for Vice Presidential Reform”

Dr. Baumgartner has a forthcoming article in Presidential Studies Quarterly on “Public Support for Vice Presidential Reform.”

Abstract: This analysis explores public support for reforming both the selection of vice presidents and institution itself. Survey data shows some evidence that those who favorably view the concepts of political moderation and bipartisanship support vice presidential reform, while partisans and ideologues (broadly defined) seem to oppose it. In addition, there is a negative association between job approval ratings for Vice President Mike Pence and support for vice presidential reform. The only demographic factor that was significant in the analysis was gender, with females more likely than males to support reform.

Breaking News: Executive MPA Program – Exclusively Online!

Friends, please share this exciting news: The Department of Political Science is announcing the start of an Executive MPA Program, designed specifically for working professionals. The program is offered exclusively online – 100% of the classes are offered (both synchronously  and asynchronously) online. The program is designed especially for working professionals.

For more information please contact Dr. Alethia Cook (cooka@ecu.edu).

New Publication from Dr. Kassab!

Dr. Hanna Kassab’s new research is titled “Internal Security: The Encroachment of State Security on Global Liberty in a Multipolar World” (Democracy and Security, 18:2, 123-146).

Abstract: This article analyzes the impact of the changing international order on the subjugation of state citizens. The increased need for security brought on by great power competition has led states to become more authoritarian. Citizen freedom may decrease as states seek security. With the advancement of facial recognition software, data collection and censorship, the state is encroaching on the rights and freedoms of citizens right to privacy. Authoritarianism is a significant part of a state’s motivation to remain independent and secure as the international order changes from American unipolarity to a multipolar one given the rise of China and the resurgence of Russia. The three traits described, absolutism, organicism, and irrationalism, point to rising authoritarianism providing useful analysis to understand the zero-sum relationship between liberty and security.

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