How Progressives Rewrote the Constitution

15/02/2006 1h 22min
How Progressives Rewrote the Constitution

Listen "How Progressives Rewrote the Constitution"

Episode Synopsis

The Constitution was written and ratified to secure liberty through limited government. Central to its design were two principles: federalism and economic liberty. But at the beginning of the 20th century, Progressives began a frontal assault on those principles. Drawing on the new social sciences and a primitive understanding of economic relationships, their efforts reached fruition during the New Deal when the Constitution was essentially rewritten, without benefit of amendment. In a new Cato book, Richard Epstein traces this history, showing how Progressives replaced competitive markets with government-created cartels and monopolies. Please join us for a discussion of the roots of modern government in the Progressive Era. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.