The Constitution Was Not the Product of a Runaway Convention
By Michael Farris
INTRODUCTION
The Constitution stands at the pinnacle of our legal and political system as the “supreme Law of the Land,”1 but it is far more important than just a set of rules. We do not take oaths to defend our nation, our government, or our leaders. Our ultimate oath of loyalty affirms that we “will to the best of [our] Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”2 Each president, every member of the Supreme Court, legislators in both houses of Congress, all members of the military, countless state and federal officials, all new citizens, and all members of the legal profession pledge our honor and duty to defend this document…
This in-depth (86 page) article was originally published in Volume 40 of the Harvard Journal of Public Policy. Click the link below to download the full article in PDF format.
1. U.S. CONST. art. VI, cl. 2.
2. Id. art. II, § 1, cl. 8; see also id. art. VI, cl. 3.