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It's a beautiful day on the Grand Strand.
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Welcome to Conversations with the Hof.
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I'm Steve Hoffman, your host, and with me in our virtual studio today is the executive producer of Liberty Crack Media, Trip Detmering.
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We also have a special column guest all the way from Sumter, South Carolina, Mr.
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Alex Higgins.
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It should be an interesting segment as we are going to take a deep dive into the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution.
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Alex Higgins is an American civic educator and author best known for creating the American Test Declaration Constitution.
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It's a comprehensive course book built to raise constitutional literacy among everyday citizens, public servants, and government personnel.
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His work centers on strengthening national understanding of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S.
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Constitution, treating them not just as historical documents, but as living governance architecture.
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He designed the American test to establish standardized method of teaching and evaluating knowledge of America's founding documents.
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The book includes full text versions of both the Constitution and the Declaration, writing exercises, detailed explanations of fundamental concepts such as the preamble and the constitutional balance of powers.
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His commentary derives from authoritative sources including, I'll get this, The Law of Nations, Congressional Transcripts, Black's Law Dictionary, and the Federalist Papers.
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The book contains hundreds of text recognition exercises that cover basically every ratified word of both documents, along with 300 questions from his American Test exam series.
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He has discussed his work in interviews, including a 2025 appearance on the Ingram Centurion podcast, where he explained the purpose and structure of the American test.
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His core mission is to make America's founding principles inspectable, teachable, and testable, ensuring that citizens can engage with constitutional governance at a deeper level than many political scientists or lawyers.
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His approach clarifies, emphasizes clarity, accessibility, and the idea that constitutional knowledge is essential for a healthy republic.
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Well, welcome to the show, Alex.
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Well, thank you for having me, Steve.
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Yeah, before I begin, um it's obvious that the those founding documents, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, are what made America the world's example of what freedom is really like.
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So before we start talking about the book, what do you believe are the natural and basic conditions needed for freedom?
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Um I'll try and give a natural law explanation for freedom.
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So I'm trying to get even deeper than the Bill of Rights here or type of philosophy.
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Or I'm trying to get developed the deepest philosophy on freedom.
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So, what creates freedom?
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I'll discuss this in terms of time and space.
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And what is freedom?
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Freedom is the ability to do what you want, or it's the ability for us to do what we want without any contractual obligations.
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That's what freedom is, plain and simple.
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Or that's the definition I will use.
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Um we're also going to talk about communism or collective control.
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I'm going to define communism as group collective control, it's rules and regulations.
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Uh that's what communism is.
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It's uh not necessarily communism wasn't necessarily created by Karl Marx.
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Some societies, or excuse me, all societies are a mixture of freedom and communism.
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There are group rules and regulations that we all have to follow to some degree, but then also societies need freedom or pleasure or the ability to do what you want.
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Obviously, we want more freedom.
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Even the Constitution has collective control.
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It's a collective control document to some degree.
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Um but the founders and framers said the Constitution is uh has the least bit of collective control.
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That was the idea behind the Constitution.
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I don't know if that's really true or not.
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Um again, people should read by book, they should read the Constitution and come up with that idea about their on their own uh to see whether or not the Constitution is a perfect or imperfect document or something in between.
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Let's get to it.
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Uh, what creates more freedom?
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Here's the quick answer: more free time and more free space.
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It's more uh free time in your life and more available living age, free residence.
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That's really what creates more freedom.
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Um for the most part.
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Um, what creates communism?
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The exact opposite condition, when we have less free time and less free space, or less available time and less space.
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Um now you're probably asking, well, you know, why why this simple explanation of time and space?
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I'm going to try and give answers.
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Um and folks, this will be intuitive to folks who have both lived in the country and the city, like myself.
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I've lived in uh large cities when I was in the Coast Guard.
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I lived in San Diego, California.
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I lived in Charleston, South Carolina.
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It's not really a huge city, but it's a densely crowded city.
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Also live down in the country.
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But basically, when you have more available acreage to yourself on your residency, you can do whatever you want without any worry of running into somebody else or without harming anybody else.
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That's why fewer rules and regulations are needed in rural areas.
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So if you have lots and lots of acreage, you can Thomas Jefferson kind of envisioned us as an agrarian republic.
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He knew that an agrarian society probably had more freedom than a uh a highly condensed urban society.
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Well, I'm just guessing.
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Wait, well, well, no, you're absolutely right.
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Uh James Madison came up with the same idea.
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He wanted to amend the preamble uh to make sure that property or a certain amount of property would be available.
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Um let's talk about being in the country again, just to paint a picture here.
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If you have 10, 20 acres of property, let's just say to yourself, you're not in a dense-packed city, you can up open up the back door, you can fire off the 12 gauge without worry, you can have cookouts, you can uh have bonfires anytime you want, you can build a basketball court for that property.
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Heck, maybe if you had enough property, you wouldn't even have to follow the speed limit because you could possibly have a racetrack on this property, and you wouldn't have to worry about running your car into anymore.
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Um so available space naturally creates the condition of freedom.
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Also, with regards to time, if you don't have to work so much to obtain that space, you're gonna have more time to enjoy that space.
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Um, if you live in the city and you have to work several hours for a very small apartment, there are literally people living in New York City, and uh there are people in New York City and they live in ten by ten apartments.
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A hundred square foot apart for for some folks in New York City.
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That's how bad the condition costs.
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And if you're living in a small compact apartment by several other small apartments, you just can't do what you want to do.
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Again, getting back to the definition of freedom, freedom is the ability to do what you want.
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And if you live in a density packed city, you're gonna need more rules and regulations.
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You're gonna need more parking meters, you're gonna have uh more stoplights, you're only gonna be able to work, walk, um in in in certain areas.
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There will be restrictions on you feeding the animals.
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Um so when you live in a densely packed area, that condition that that condition naturally creates communism or collective control, whether we want to call it that or not.
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So if we have a a city and it gets or a town and it gets more densely compact, um with folks moving from out of state, even if all those folks are uh George Washington, Thomas Jefferson's loving people, uh they're they're naturally gonna work they're naturally gonna come to the conclusion that they need more rules and regulations so that folks can deal with these tight spaces.
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A lot of it has to do with where we can move, there will be more rules and regulations on where firearms can there will be more rules and regulations on on uh where people can and cannot have a bonfire or a cookout and whatnot.
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So we want to consider this in South Carolina when it comes to growing the economy.
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When we go to grow the economy in South Carolina, um it might not be an improved economy, meaning that the South Carolinians already living here and their children, they will not be able to afford as much living space per 40 hours worth of work if we do this thing called growing the economy.
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A lot of politicians use that.
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A lot of times they they advertise the economy of South Carolina to other states.
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Now, when we do that, it grows the gross size of the economy, it grows the gross size of the economy or the total size of the economy, however, the economy per person for the South Carolinian already living here gets worse.
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And again, just to quantify this, the area of living space earned for 40 hours worth of work becomes less and less in those cases when we are doing this so-called thing called growing the economy.
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And the evidence of this can be seen with Charleston and even its neighboring city, uh Somerville.
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Somerville used to be somewhat of a small town in maybe 2000.
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However, now it's densely packed, coffee is hard to afford.
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People have to work more and more hours for less space.
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They're stuck in traffic more.
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Okay, Alex.
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I hate to cut you off.
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Uh uh you already answered the question, I think, about uh the basic conditions for uh freedom.
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I I really want to get back to your book, uh the um The American Test.
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Um what you I think you might have answered this question already, but what inspired you to create the American Test?
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Why did you why did why did you write that book?
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And then uh and uh ask questions and the study guide.
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Well, it's it's a mixture of you know pride.
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I wanted to do it, I wanted to write a book.
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I think everybody wants to do that.
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Ever uh more importantly, I wanted to help my country in what ways that I could.
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And furthermore, ability.
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I one time I sat down, I read the Constitution, I'm like, I'm gonna read this document.
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I've never read it before, and uh I was really preparing for a tough read.
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And I read the document, I read it in about 45 minutes.
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The Constitution was done and over with, and I was very surprised.
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And then I got the idea I could make a test out of this uh Constitution.
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It's not that much material to cover, and since it's the supreme law of the land, since we all have to swear to uphold it in the military and in law enforcement, and since we talk about it all the time in history classes, we should develop a test on this constitution because it's practical, and uh that that's really what inspired me to do that.
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The uh practicality of this constitution test.
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It's its short size, motivated me to believe that I could create a test on this small amount of material.
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I remember going back to school back in the 50s and 60s, back when uh public schools actually gave you an education and they actually had civics courses, and they they mentioned the Constitution, they mentioned the Declaration of Independence, but they really didn't get into you know a lot of detail about the Constitution.
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So obviously, it's good to see that your American text is a book that's out there that now gives a lot more detail than what we learned in public schools or what they're not learning in public schools today.
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Um, how did you decide on the structure of the coursework?
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The full text, the writing exercises, uh explanation, the glossary.
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Well, why did you go into all that?
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Um what was in one of my books for the uh structure of my book, the way I arranged it, with the new book, you you have a uh copy of the white-covered book, I have a black covered book.
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In the white covered book, I put the learning exercises, the writing and relationship exercises at the beginning of the book.
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And what are writing and relationship exercises?
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Actually, you might um ask this in your next question.
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Let me just say, here's why I decided on the structure of my book, here's why I made it the way I made them.
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It's so people would learn more about the Constitution.
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That's the plain, simple answer.
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Okay.
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Um, and we could kind of get into the details of how these things help us with um some of your further questions.
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I don't know if I answered it.
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What are these what are these uh text recognition exercises and how and what role do they play in helping uh readers, the students understand the founding documents?
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What give me an example of a text recognition uh exercise?
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Well, text recognition exercises, that's really a fancy uh term for multiple choice questions.
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In the book, you have a whole entire practice exam in there.
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And it's much longer than the digital exam that people will receive.
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There are hundreds of questions in my books, and what they do is they force people to read the ratified text of the Constitution.
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Before you can have a deep understanding of the Constitution, you have to be very familiar with the superficial text.
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You have to know exactly what it is that you're trying to understand.
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And my belief, to understand the Constitution, you have to read the Constitution.
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You have to read the actual words chosen by the framers of the document.
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And the tax recognition exercises, they force people to deal with that ratified text of the Constitution.
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Uh, a constitutional interpretation uh may not help you.
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You can't give a Christian or an atheist point of view, you can't give a Democratic or Republican interpretation of the Constitution, you just have to know that uh Constitution.
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That's because text recognition exercises uh force people to do.
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The um in your book, you also talk about the concepts, the sword and the purse.
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What is that?
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What does that refer to?
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Um James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, they mentioned those terms.
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And uh Federalist 58, and then in Federalist 78, Federalist 58, it's about the House of Representatives, and Federalist 78, it focuses on the courts.
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And sort of in the first, it's much it's much more important than the Supreme Court.
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So in schools, we learn this Supreme Court-centered point of view of the Constitution.
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Um what's really important is who holds the sword and how much money that person is getting to wield that sword.
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So basically, militaries, police forces, and whatnot, um, they they can infringe greatly upon our freedoms if they are incredibly uh well funded.
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Um if you want to take away if you want to take away the brutality of the sword or the guns that the police have, you want to take away their money.
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James Madison said that uh that that the ability to defund militaries and police forces was the most important thing for protecting freedom.
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It's not necessarily a Bill of Rights argument in a court of law that will protect us.
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It's really our ability to fund or defund things that will affect our freedoms.
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Now, sometimes, you know, it is good to fund the military or police forces.
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We want them to some degree.
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But when they turn deviant, we want to defund them.
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And uh all bills for raising revenue beginning the House of Representatives, that's the first line of Article 1, Section 7.
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That might be one of the most important lines in the U.S.
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Constitution.
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That might be more important than even the Bill of Rights when it comes to preserving our freedom.
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Um also it's uh we gotta think about economics as well.
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We talked about the Second Amendment, gun rights, and stuff like that.
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Let's just say that the Supreme Court says that we can have any type of firearm or any type of ammunition that that we want to.
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And I do believe it that that should be the ruling, at least with things that you can carry with both of your two arms according to Black's law dictionary and according to the intention of the Second Amendment.
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However, if the government has a lot of money, what they can literally use, they can go in, they can buy up all the bullets and guns, and for all practical purposes, they take away our Second Amendment rights.
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So Yeah, they did that a couple years ago when uh the uh government had all kinds of purchase orders that basically bought up all the nine millimeter ammunition, and us regular average citizens couldn't buy any nine millimeter ammunitions because the government had all of these procurement contracts for ATF for every every government agency where employees car carried guns, so we couldn't even get ammunitions.
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This is about what it was about 10 years ago, 15 years ago?
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So that did happen.
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Plus, you um you mentioned about you know the purse and the sword.
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Uh our founding fathers kind of had mixed signals about uh an army.
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They um they were leery of a standing army because of the British, right?
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But they also wanted a citizen army with the militia.
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So maybe that's why they put in the Constitution that the army was only going to be funded for two years.
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Um you know, in the uh Article 1, Section 8, it talks about Congress has you know just to fund the army for two years.
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That way they had some control over the purse of the army.
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Now I don't know if they have that today, but that was their original thoughts.
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What do you think about that?
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Um Oh no, I'd say that's a pretty good observation.
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I also noticed that the House of Representatives, their term in office, that matches with that uh length of time that we can fund an army for.
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So, you know, once again, the armies, as you pointed out, according to the Constitution, Article 18 says armies can only be funded for two years.
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Well, also, um, all spending begins with the House of Representatives, or it's supposed to, anyways, and a House of Representative term uh lasts for two years as well.
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It matches up with that um that length of time that an army can be funded for.
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So maybe the thought behind that was if the army is infringing upon our rights, if the army is getting too power-hungry or we have a deviant ruler.
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Um the thought behind.
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We'll we'll move on here again.
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In your book, you uh you talk about the connection between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
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Now, the time frame between those two documents is many, many years.
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I mean you had the con the Declaration of Independence signed in what seven seven 1776, and the Constitution wasn't ratified until at least a decade later.
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So what's the what's the connection between those two documents?
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Well, I it's the Constitution, it makes mention of the Declaration of Independence.
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Um the Constitution said it was um it refers to the Declaration in Article 7.
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So how are they related?
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There were events um cited in the Declaration of Independence that were influential to our Constitution, such as with the uh the King's ability to fire judges at will.
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So judicial pay and their time in office were entirely contingent upon upon the uh they were fully contingent upon King George's will in our Constitution, and I'm just giving one example of here among many.
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Um in the Constitution, judges have life in office.
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I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but maybe it's better than what King George had.
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Um presidents can appoint judges, however, they have to um make a group choice with the Senate to appoint those judges under the Constitution.
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So we have a president that's kind of like an elected king, kinda sort of, but he doesn't have sole power to appoint judges, and uh the appointment of judges was pointed out, or the uh or the corrupt appointment of judges was pointed out in the declaration of independence.
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Um there were several events listed in the Declaration of Independence that you know influenced our our Constitution.
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The Declaration is a historical uh document.
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It marks the separation of our nation away from Great Britain.
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Um but the Declaration of Independence is not the Supreme Law itself.
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The Constitution is very much a reflection on the Declaration of Independence, but the Constitution is a document on how to uh correct all the wrongs that King George did.
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So that would be the relation between the two documents, in my opinion.
00:26:58.890 --> 00:27:01.130
That's my opinion, that's my interpretation.
00:27:01.850 --> 00:27:04.970
And uh I I don't know if you have any thoughts on that, Steve.
00:27:06.490 --> 00:27:16.650
The uh wasn't there a philosophical background to the Declaration of In Independence heavily influenced by the works of John Locke.
00:27:17.050 --> 00:27:39.450
So the Declaration of Independence kind of had a a philosophical setting to it, uh, were the uh private property and the and the right, you know, the basically individual freedom and liberty and uh right to personal property, or the Constitution a decade later, did it still reflect those same philosophical concepts of like John Locke?
00:27:42.410 --> 00:27:44.650
Or there was somebody else at play there.
00:27:47.050 --> 00:27:56.410
Um the fear of uh excessive government was there because you mentioned about the separation of powers and stuff and the constitution.
00:27:57.130 --> 00:28:02.330
Well, I believe that the Declaration of Independence was probably influenced by John Locke.
00:28:02.490 --> 00:28:08.410
I'd say a lot of it sounds like the Law of Nations to me, which was written by Emmerday Vittel.
00:28:10.250 --> 00:28:15.290
Um a lot of it was based on probably Aristotle as well.
00:28:15.370 --> 00:28:16.650
He wrote um politics.
00:28:16.730 --> 00:28:30.570
Aristotle studied hundreds of constitutions, but uh I I would say that I I mean there are hundreds of uh philosophical inspirations for the Declaration of Independence.
00:28:30.810 --> 00:28:34.730
Thomas Jefferson, he was well read in pretty much everything I said.
00:28:36.970 --> 00:28:45.610
Yeah, I hate to I hate to correct the Founding Fathers, but in the Declaration of Independence, they talk about uh life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
00:28:45.770 --> 00:28:50.410
When really it should have been life, liberty, and the pursuit of property.
00:28:50.650 --> 00:28:52.650
What do you think about that statement?
00:28:52.890 --> 00:28:54.490
That was John Locke.
00:28:55.210 --> 00:28:57.450
Well, um Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Property.
00:28:57.850 --> 00:29:00.090
Okay, life, liberty, and the pursuit of property.
00:29:00.330 --> 00:29:11.770
Now, James Madison, the first proposed amendment to the Constitution, as far as I know, um, I read the Bill of Rights Debates uh transcripts in the annals of Congress.
00:29:12.410 --> 00:29:17.610
The first proposed amendment to uh the Constitution was to the preamble.
00:29:18.970 --> 00:29:30.490
James Madison wanted to say that all of us have a right to property with that amendment to the preamble, with this proposed amendment.
00:29:30.650 --> 00:29:33.450
Now the idea of that was shot down.
00:29:34.250 --> 00:29:44.490
Um it's not that the it's not that the other framers of the Bill of Rights were against uh that idea.
00:29:44.730 --> 00:29:48.970
They said that the preamble already means that by itself.
00:29:49.210 --> 00:30:00.570
So James Madison, James Madison, he wanted to add a more uh lengthier description to the preamble.
00:30:01.290 --> 00:30:09.290
He wanted it to be longer, but the other framers at the Bill of Rights debates, they said, no, no, no, that's not necessary.
00:30:09.930 --> 00:30:15.690
The preamble already means that without adding those extra words.
00:30:16.010 --> 00:30:27.450
But James Madison, the father of the Constitution, he wanted to add something into that preamble about the ability to obtain property.
00:30:28.570 --> 00:30:37.610
And uh, I think we went over that with our uh with our discussion on time, space, and uh freedom, breaking freedom down into those uh simple terms.
00:30:37.690 --> 00:30:42.330
We said that copy is necessary for liberty.
00:30:42.490 --> 00:30:46.650
You can't have liberty without property or without uh living space.
00:30:48.170 --> 00:30:52.250
Well, I've mentioned the philosophical sources for these two documents.
00:30:52.490 --> 00:31:03.530
You talk about, you draw some sources from the Law of Nations, Congressional Transcripts, Black's Law Dictionary, and the Federalist Papers.
00:31:03.770 --> 00:31:08.890
How do these sources deepen a reader's understanding of those documents?
00:31:12.250 --> 00:31:24.570
Um well, the law of nations, um that discusses some things about immigration that are popular today in our in the U.S.
00:31:24.650 --> 00:31:34.010
Constitution, Article 1, Section 8, says that Congress has the power to define and uh punish offenses against the law of nations.
00:31:34.330 --> 00:31:41.370
And my belief is that's where we derive our immigration powers from in the U.S.
00:31:41.530 --> 00:31:42.570
Constitution.
00:31:43.050 --> 00:31:50.250
Uh the framers were very the framers uh were very inspired by Vittel.
00:31:50.330 --> 00:32:06.090
They knew exactly who Amr Day Vittel was, and uh they they felt uh if you want to learn more about what the term Law of Nations is, you want to read Emmer Day Vittel.
00:32:06.330 --> 00:32:23.770
Um, also in Emmer Day Vittel's Law of Nations, not only does he talk about immigration, he talks about all types of international matters, about which the contingencies should be for treaties, if we're trading for someone, about whether we should accept somebody's customs or not.
00:32:23.930 --> 00:32:46.650
So today we talk about Israel in the United States, and we have anti-BDS laws in our uh in many of our state governments, meaning that we can't, meaning that companies that contract with government cannot be involved in a protest against Israel.
00:32:47.530 --> 00:32:52.970
And there are some other nations there too, but Israel's just a common example that comes up these days.
00:32:53.610 --> 00:33:16.410
But Vattel, to address that situation, uh Vattel, if he were in office, according to his writings, I'm imagining if he were in office, he would not want us giving in to the cultural demands of Israel if we're developing trade relations with Israel.
00:33:16.490 --> 00:33:36.890
Because Vattel would say, we're the bigger, stronger nation, we have 300 plus million people, we develop this robust proven economy that's guided us through all types of uh circumstances from 1776 all the way through World War II, uh, before Israel was in existence.
00:33:37.370 --> 00:34:00.170
He would say that um he would say that contracting laws, he would say that uh government contracting laws should not be contingent uh upon these uh anti-BDS regulations that some foreign entity might be demanding.
00:34:00.250 --> 00:34:05.210
I don't know if it's um us that demands that or if it's them that demands that.
00:34:05.290 --> 00:34:15.369
Um but if somebody wants to contract with the government, they should be able to protest what they want to, as long as the protest is legal.
00:34:15.530 --> 00:34:19.050
Um, or as long as it's constitutionalized, I should say.
00:34:19.610 --> 00:34:33.369
So when it comes to uh trade negotiations, uh Vattel would say it would tell the United States not to give in to another nation's cultural demands in case we are trading with them.
00:34:33.529 --> 00:34:38.969
That's what Vattel would say, unless we happen to be in a weaker position.
00:34:39.449 --> 00:34:42.729
So um that's some of the stuff that comes up in Vittel's book.
00:34:42.809 --> 00:34:46.489
He talks about war, when to when to go to war, when not to.
00:34:47.049 --> 00:34:50.489
He talks about a lot of the same stuff that Aristotle talked about, too.
00:34:50.809 --> 00:34:58.329
He says that the purpose of uh society is to create the most happiness or the most pleasure in the society.
00:34:58.569 --> 00:35:06.489
Vittel and Vattel, Aristotle, and Thomas Jefferson all said that.
00:35:07.129 --> 00:35:16.009
Thomas Jefferson said that life, you know, men should be able to pursue life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
00:35:17.209 --> 00:35:21.369
And Aristotle said that that's the purpose of government as well.
00:35:21.609 --> 00:35:36.569
Um I don't know if we want government to uh help us to create this happiness, but we don't want government to infringe upon our freedoms uh to have that happiness.
00:35:37.609 --> 00:35:48.249
Uh but Aristotle said that the point of coming into a group or entering into a group contract, such as a society, society is a big group contract.
00:35:49.209 --> 00:35:56.489
The point of entering into that group contract is to create the most happiness with the most pleasure possible.
00:35:58.009 --> 00:36:00.009
Um well beyond some survival.
00:36:01.849 --> 00:36:02.249
Go ahead.
00:36:02.649 --> 00:36:13.529
I'm for it it's my understanding that the Constitution, you know, we're we're a nation under the rule of law, and the constitution is it seems to be the basis of that law.
00:36:13.769 --> 00:36:30.169
But yet we had a Supreme Court justice, Ruth Bader-Ginsburg, who bel who made a statement that uh our law uh can also be based on, or precedent law can also be based on the laws in other countries.
00:36:30.409 --> 00:36:38.329
To me, that doesn't sound like she's ever read your book or ever read the Constitution or taken the exercises.
00:36:38.489 --> 00:36:47.929
How can you have a Supreme Court justice believe that the United States should come under the law of other foreign countries?
00:36:48.489 --> 00:36:49.929
I don't understand that.
00:36:50.489 --> 00:36:56.169
If that was the case, it would have to be some type of an interpretation of treaties.
00:36:56.489 --> 00:37:02.169
Now, now treaties they are law according to Article 6 of the document.
00:37:02.329 --> 00:37:09.049
So you have Article 6 in the Constitution, says that treaties are in fact laws themselves.
00:37:10.169 --> 00:37:14.889
In treaties, that that's one case where the president can generate laws.
00:37:15.129 --> 00:37:18.729
Of course, they have to be certified by the Senate.
00:37:19.769 --> 00:37:22.009
But maybe that's well, obviously.
00:37:22.649 --> 00:37:23.209
Go ahead.
00:37:23.929 --> 00:37:26.249
But I'm against what she she is saying.
00:37:26.409 --> 00:37:35.449
Um I guess you can have any law, but that's only as long as it doesn't violate the parameters of the Constitution.
00:37:37.609 --> 00:37:44.889
Well, obviously, there's a gap in what uh Americans are being taught about the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
00:37:45.049 --> 00:37:53.849
What do you think is the the biggest gap in uh constitutional literacy among uh students in the United States?
00:37:54.009 --> 00:37:56.489
What is it that they don't understand the most?
00:37:58.409 --> 00:38:02.169
Well, I mean, I I tried to hit that on the head with my book.
00:38:02.729 --> 00:38:04.089
People just have to read it.
00:38:04.249 --> 00:38:11.049
So again, that's why I wrote my book, and that's why I wrote it the way I wrote it, with these identification exercises.
00:38:11.529 --> 00:38:15.529
My book used to be called the Exact Volks Test before it was called the American test.
00:38:15.849 --> 00:38:18.489
Um, people have to actually read the Constitution.
00:38:18.649 --> 00:38:29.849
It's not really a good idea to listen to other people's interpretations and tell people have a good footing in that superficial text of that constitution.
00:38:30.089 --> 00:38:34.489
So that's it's such a simple idea, but people just don't get it.
00:38:34.729 --> 00:38:40.569
Um my book was made to uh motivate people to do that.
00:38:40.809 --> 00:38:51.129
You can take the electronic version of the American test, you can take the electronic version of the American test, and you can get a score and a certificate.
00:38:51.689 --> 00:38:56.889
And uh, you know, again, my test it forces people to read the Constitution.
00:38:56.969 --> 00:39:03.369
There's no way to get an 80 or 90 score unless you're well versed in the superficial text of the Constitution.
00:39:03.529 --> 00:39:14.329
Now, with other civics of education, when they ask questions, uh you answer about interpretations of the Constitution.
00:39:14.569 --> 00:39:19.209
You don't really have to verify exact quotes from the Constitution.
00:39:19.289 --> 00:39:22.889
You don't have to verify the text of the Constitution.
00:39:23.929 --> 00:39:29.849
Um and you know, one thing here's what we want to do.
00:39:30.009 --> 00:39:30.169
No.
00:39:31.049 --> 00:39:31.929
Here's what we want to do.
00:39:32.009 --> 00:39:47.209
If we're interpreting the Constitution, or if we're hearing interpretations about the Constitution, if we're hearing these philosophies, we want to see if these philosophers can even recognize the premises which they are basing these philosophies on.
00:39:47.689 --> 00:40:01.849
So if some uh constitutional wizard has this grand idea about the Constitution, if somebody comes out and he says he's the reincarnation of John Adams, for instance.
00:40:02.169 --> 00:40:12.089
I don't know if anybody would really say that or not, but you know, some people think that that they're just like John Adams or one of these rake founders and framers, or they act like they ought.
00:40:12.649 --> 00:40:20.569
I think it would be good to see if they could even recognize the text of the Constitution before we listen to their interpretation.
00:40:20.969 --> 00:40:24.089
And this is just basic stuff from geometry.
00:40:24.249 --> 00:40:34.249
If you look at the cover of my book, um, if you look at the cover, if you look at the cover of my book, there is a flag with geometric symbols on it.
00:40:34.569 --> 00:40:35.849
I designed that.
00:40:36.089 --> 00:40:42.329
Geometry really inspired me, um, it really inspired my ideas about the Constitution.
00:40:42.649 --> 00:40:54.889
But if somebody has a conclusion, they claim to have a great conclusion, you should greatly question that conclusion if they don't know the premises which they base that conclusion on.
00:40:55.289 --> 00:40:58.889
To have a great conclusion, you have to know the premise well.
00:40:59.049 --> 00:41:00.809
You have to know it incredibly well.
00:41:01.129 --> 00:41:13.449
Um, otherwise, your conclusion or your coordinate interpretation or your legal ideas in the uh state or federal legislature are uh not going to be good.
00:41:14.009 --> 00:41:20.329
You have to know the premises well, you have to know the ratified text of the Constitution like the back of your hand.
00:41:20.489 --> 00:41:28.169
Now I can go a little bit more in depth about that if you like, um, but but people have to be really well read in the Constitution.
00:41:28.249 --> 00:41:30.489
That's what the whole entire United States needs.
00:41:30.649 --> 00:41:33.129
So you have to be read well in the Constitution.
00:41:34.569 --> 00:41:35.849
So I kind of feed that way.
00:41:36.249 --> 00:41:39.689
If you were going to um, I'm gonna cut you off again, sorry.
00:41:40.169 --> 00:41:40.489
Go for it.
00:41:40.729 --> 00:41:56.409
If you were gonna open up an educational institution that to teach your your book and your concepts, what segment of the population would you focus on, or what age group would you focus on to f to teach your your book, the American Test?
00:41:57.209 --> 00:41:58.809
Who needs it the most?
00:42:00.169 --> 00:42:04.729
Uh probably 16 to 16 to 35.
00:42:05.209 --> 00:42:08.089
Probably it was intended to be a book.
00:42:08.649 --> 00:42:16.649
It's for a uh sophomore or senior in high school, or it's intended for people in the first two years of college.
00:42:16.809 --> 00:42:19.289
That's the age group that it's intended for.
00:42:20.809 --> 00:42:23.849
Yeah, they have to have the capabilities to understand what you're talking about.
00:42:24.089 --> 00:42:31.369
Maybe the the younger, like fourth grade, fifth grade might be too too um too early.
00:42:31.609 --> 00:42:37.209
Probably a better book for them would be those twin series tips about the freedom and limited government.
00:42:37.289 --> 00:42:38.169
What do they call that book?
00:42:38.249 --> 00:42:39.529
The something twins?
00:42:39.769 --> 00:42:41.129
You've probably heard that.
00:42:41.449 --> 00:42:43.529
Yeah, um, no.
00:42:43.849 --> 00:42:53.289
Um I just so so so what about you mentioned you'd focus on uh like uh eighth graders or people in that uh age group.
00:42:53.529 --> 00:42:56.649
What other segment of the population would you focus on?
00:42:57.129 --> 00:43:02.809
Well, uh, I'd like it for 11th and 12th graders and people in the first two years of college.
00:43:02.969 --> 00:43:12.329
Um I'd like it to be at about that age group because these people are going into the service, they'll be going into police forces and whatnot.
00:43:12.809 --> 00:43:19.049
Um, that's the education level, anyways, that um would be required to get through my book.
00:43:19.209 --> 00:43:38.569
So my my book doesn't require a doctorate degree to get through, but they need to have had a few English courses and and whatnot, as even though the Constitution is a small bit of uh material, um bit tricky, some of the sentences and whatnot.
00:43:38.809 --> 00:43:39.449
Yeah.
00:43:40.649 --> 00:43:44.169
You know, it's important that we all you know continue our education.
00:43:44.249 --> 00:43:53.769
Uh I was a quality auditor for many years, and I'd I'd spent a lot of time as an adult going to a site called Khan Academy.
00:43:54.009 --> 00:44:01.769
If I wanted to learn about a particular process or a particular engineering uh skill, I would go to Khan Academy.
00:44:01.929 --> 00:44:23.369
It'd be nice if um you had the our our politicians, our our state and federal representatives and senators and stuff, if they could go to a site to learn about the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence from your perspective, because I think there's a big educational deficiency right there with our uh elected representatives.
00:44:23.529 --> 00:44:27.929
I mean, they they're doing a terrible job of upholding the Constitution.
00:44:28.489 --> 00:44:34.809
Well, um, I'd like to address political parties, the Libertarian Party, the Republican Party, Democratic Party, no matter what.
00:44:34.969 --> 00:44:38.089
Um, I think we might want to start doing this in the Libertarian Party.
00:44:38.329 --> 00:44:45.209
We might want to vet our candidates based on some type of constitutional test score.
00:44:45.449 --> 00:44:48.329
Um, because otherwise we just get into demagoguery.
00:44:48.409 --> 00:44:59.209
We're just um we're just uh basing our vote on their personalities or their ability or their ability to act in front of the public.
00:45:00.649 --> 00:45:06.649
I think that all congressmen should take the American test, and we should be able to see their score.
00:45:06.729 --> 00:45:08.569
We should be able to see the score of candidates.
00:45:08.809 --> 00:45:18.729
So if you have a candidate that's running for the Libertarian Party, and they get a 50% on this American test, uh we might want to question those.
00:45:27.929 --> 00:45:30.329
It's not time to learn the Constitution when they get into office.
00:45:30.569 --> 00:45:35.609
When they get into office, they need to know that Constitution like the back of their hand.
00:45:35.849 --> 00:45:37.689
And that's even if they're at the state level.
00:45:37.849 --> 00:45:41.129
They need to need to know the US Constitution and the State Constitution.
00:45:41.849 --> 00:45:44.169
The US Constitution applies everywhere.
00:45:44.409 --> 00:45:49.449
But uh they really need to uh know that Constitution like the back of their hand.
00:45:50.489 --> 00:45:59.769
Well probably the place to bring this up to our representatives is when they're first campaigning for public office and they make their uh their campaign stops.
00:46:00.089 --> 00:46:03.689
Or when they're elected, they come back and they do these town halls.
00:46:03.929 --> 00:46:12.489
I used to ask uh representatives when they came doing a town hall, I'd say, what is the purpose of the Constitution?
00:46:12.969 --> 00:46:16.009
And I'd get all kinds of crazy answers.
00:46:16.249 --> 00:46:24.569
You know, nowhere near the fact that the the purpose of their constitution is to preserve and protect our inalienable rights.
00:46:24.809 --> 00:46:26.649
Nobody ever said anything like that.
00:46:26.889 --> 00:46:31.849
It's like, well, the purpose of the Constitution is to make sure that our kids are well educated.
00:46:32.249 --> 00:46:36.489
Or we need to make sure that uh all citizens have access to health care.
00:46:37.049 --> 00:46:38.089
I'm going, what?
00:46:38.249 --> 00:46:39.769
Where did you come from?
00:46:40.729 --> 00:46:42.649
What civics class did you take?
00:46:43.129 --> 00:46:45.129
You know, that really weird answers.
00:46:45.609 --> 00:46:48.329
So, yeah, uh-uh, your book is extremely important.
00:46:48.489 --> 00:46:57.049
And my final question is do you plan on having a a follow-up set of books that will teach the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution?
00:46:57.209 --> 00:47:00.809
Do you have any follow-up um books coming out?
00:47:01.369 --> 00:47:03.289
No, I just really want to keep into this.
00:47:03.609 --> 00:47:11.689
I I think sometimes uh the writer who writes least likes best, and evidence of that can be seen with the Declaration of Independence.
00:47:12.409 --> 00:47:22.009
Um I could never write so efficiently as uh Thomas Jefferson did with 1300 words, I would be quite pleased with myself.
00:47:22.409 --> 00:47:27.129
Um I'll never be as good of a writer as he is, but I'm still gonna write the least impossible.
00:47:27.929 --> 00:47:31.289
I just want to keep the material to as small as possible.
00:47:31.689 --> 00:47:36.969
And uh I just make people read the Constitution and that's good enough for me.
00:47:37.209 --> 00:47:50.169
If I write any other books, there'll probably be some flapstick, uh belligerent comedy things that are uh the exact opposite thing of uh law and whatnot.
00:47:52.489 --> 00:47:55.209
But that one takes time and effort to write a book.
00:47:55.289 --> 00:47:56.409
I I know that.
00:47:56.889 --> 00:48:04.329
And uh you currently have that kind of time and effort, or you have uh uh uh other things to do to make a living?
00:48:05.049 --> 00:48:08.329
Uh you know, I've been uh working full time.
00:48:08.649 --> 00:48:13.929
Uh when I wrote my books and how I would do them, I would just open up my computer every night.
00:48:15.929 --> 00:48:16.649
Write one thing.
00:48:16.729 --> 00:48:23.769
I I my only goal would be to open up the computer desk change one thing or add one thing to it.
00:48:24.809 --> 00:48:33.369
Over a period of months, I was able to help one step at a time.
00:48:34.569 --> 00:48:37.609
Uh more consistency than it is.
00:48:39.209 --> 00:48:40.969
Yeah, right.
00:48:42.889 --> 00:48:49.209
So you could write a sequel, but it would take take time, probably a matter of years before you get something out.
00:48:49.929 --> 00:48:50.249
Okay.
00:48:50.809 --> 00:48:53.529
Well, Alex, uh, thanks for being on the show today.
00:48:53.929 --> 00:49:13.529
You know, we're living in an era of massive executive overreach, judicial activism, infringements on just about every right that's outlined in the first ten amendments of our constitution, and a government so large that it no longer represents we the people.
00:49:14.409 --> 00:49:28.489
So a major takeaway from today's conversation is that a free society depends on citizens understanding the principles of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
00:49:29.289 --> 00:49:43.769
If our elected officials read your book, answered the review questions, completed the writing exercises and quizzes, maybe, just maybe, we would have less government and more freedom.
00:49:44.089 --> 00:49:46.569
So thanks again for being on the show, Alex.
00:49:47.129 --> 00:49:54.329
And now a word from our glorious leader and the executive producer of Liberty Crack Media, Tripp Detmering.
00:49:54.969 --> 00:50:05.129
Well, I want to thank Alex and Steve for another fascinating uh episode of Conversations with the Hoff, and everybody has got to get a hold of the American test U.S.
00:50:05.289 --> 00:50:06.089
Constitution.
00:50:06.329 --> 00:50:35.769
We will have links in the comment section of these podcasts to Barnes Noble, where you can get the American test, you can get the American Test Declaration Constitution book, you can also get the uh exam, uh, the test exam book, uh, the test exam answer key and the test exam book two gold standard of the American Social Science Sciences, all from Alexander Higgins.
00:50:35.849 --> 00:50:39.129
And you will have those links in our uh comment section.
00:50:39.289 --> 00:50:47.849
Again, I want to thank you two, and if you want to find out more and have more exciting podcasts, go to Libertycraft Media.com.
00:50:48.169 --> 00:50:48.969
Thank you, gentlemen.
00:50:51.049 --> 00:50:57.609
Lean in close, got a question in a black coffee glow.
00:50:58.729 --> 00:51:05.769
From campus quads to the Capitol steps, we're talking who we are.
00:51:07.129 --> 00:51:08.809
What comes next?
00:51:09.609 --> 00:51:20.329
Conversations with a hove, where the big ideas kick the shoes off, liberty tradition, side by side, argue, laugh, and let it rise.
00:51:20.569 --> 00:51:24.809
Conversations with a hop, turn it up and turn it over in your mind.
00:51:28.569 --> 00:51:32.889
Tax to the hill or left alone.
00:51:34.249 --> 00:51:38.169
How much power do we lawn?
00:51:39.449 --> 00:51:41.129
Rise on paper.
00:51:42.169 --> 00:51:43.369
Rise in hand.
00:51:44.889 --> 00:51:48.649
Where do we draw that line in the sand?
00:51:49.929 --> 00:51:54.649
Conversations with the hall, where the big ideas kick the shoes off.
00:51:55.369 --> 00:51:56.809
Liberty tradition.
00:51:57.129 --> 00:52:00.489
Side by side, argue, laugh, and let it rise.
00:52:00.889 --> 00:52:02.089
Conversations with the hall.
00:52:02.729 --> 00:52:05.129
Turn it up and turn it over in your mind.
00:52:16.809 --> 00:52:18.169
Is it either off?
00:52:19.689 --> 00:52:21.289
Or in between?
00:52:22.409 --> 00:52:26.569
Old school roots and a freedom dream.
00:52:27.689 --> 00:52:29.369
Pull a thread.
00:52:30.169 --> 00:52:32.009
See what you find.
00:52:33.129 --> 00:52:34.649
One more question.
00:52:35.529 --> 00:52:37.049
We're out of time.
00:52:38.169 --> 00:52:39.529
Conversations with the hall.
00:52:40.249 --> 00:52:42.969
Where the big ideas kick the shoes off.
00:52:43.609 --> 00:52:46.489
Liberty, tradition, side by side.
00:52:46.729 --> 00:52:48.889
Argue, laugh, and let it ride.
00:52:49.129 --> 00:52:50.249
Conversations with the hall.
00:52:50.809 --> 00:52:54.729
Hit subscribe and take a little time to think it through.
00:01:21.679 --> 00:01:24.159
It's a beautiful day on the Grand Strand.
00:01:24.399 --> 00:01:26.719
Welcome to Conversations with the Hof.
00:01:27.039 --> 00:01:37.519
I'm Steve Hoffman, your host, and with me in our virtual studio today is the executive producer of Liberty Crack Media, Trip Detmering.
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We also have a special column guest all the way from Sumter, South Carolina, Mr.
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Alex Higgins.
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It should be an interesting segment as we are going to take a deep dive into the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution.
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Alex Higgins is an American civic educator and author best known for creating the American Test Declaration Constitution.
00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:19.680
It's a comprehensive course book built to raise constitutional literacy among everyday citizens, public servants, and government personnel.
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His work centers on strengthening national understanding of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S.
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Constitution, treating them not just as historical documents, but as living governance architecture.
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He designed the American test to establish standardized method of teaching and evaluating knowledge of America's founding documents.
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The book includes full text versions of both the Constitution and the Declaration, writing exercises, detailed explanations of fundamental concepts such as the preamble and the constitutional balance of powers.
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His commentary derives from authoritative sources including, I'll get this, The Law of Nations, Congressional Transcripts, Black's Law Dictionary, and the Federalist Papers.
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The book contains hundreds of text recognition exercises that cover basically every ratified word of both documents, along with 300 questions from his American Test exam series.
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He has discussed his work in interviews, including a 2025 appearance on the Ingram Centurion podcast, where he explained the purpose and structure of the American test.
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His core mission is to make America's founding principles inspectable, teachable, and testable, ensuring that citizens can engage with constitutional governance at a deeper level than many political scientists or lawyers.
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His approach clarifies, emphasizes clarity, accessibility, and the idea that constitutional knowledge is essential for a healthy republic.
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Well, welcome to the show, Alex.
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Well, thank you for having me, Steve.
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Yeah, before I begin, um it's obvious that the those founding documents, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, are what made America the world's example of what freedom is really like.
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So before we start talking about the book, what do you believe are the natural and basic conditions needed for freedom?
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Um I'll try and give a natural law explanation for freedom.
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So I'm trying to get even deeper than the Bill of Rights here or type of philosophy.
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Or I'm trying to get developed the deepest philosophy on freedom.
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So, what creates freedom?
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I'll discuss this in terms of time and space.
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And what is freedom?
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Freedom is the ability to do what you want, or it's the ability for us to do what we want without any contractual obligations.
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That's what freedom is, plain and simple.
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Or that's the definition I will use.
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Um we're also going to talk about communism or collective control.
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I'm going to define communism as group collective control, it's rules and regulations.
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Uh that's what communism is.
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It's uh not necessarily communism wasn't necessarily created by Karl Marx.
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Some societies, or excuse me, all societies are a mixture of freedom and communism.
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There are group rules and regulations that we all have to follow to some degree, but then also societies need freedom or pleasure or the ability to do what you want.
00:06:04.879 --> 00:06:06.639
Obviously, we want more freedom.
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Even the Constitution has collective control.
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It's a collective control document to some degree.
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Um but the founders and framers said the Constitution is uh has the least bit of collective control.
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That was the idea behind the Constitution.
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I don't know if that's really true or not.
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Um again, people should read by book, they should read the Constitution and come up with that idea about their on their own uh to see whether or not the Constitution is a perfect or imperfect document or something in between.
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Let's get to it.
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Uh, what creates more freedom?
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Here's the quick answer: more free time and more free space.
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It's more uh free time in your life and more available living age, free residence.
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That's really what creates more freedom.
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Um for the most part.
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Um, what creates communism?
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The exact opposite condition, when we have less free time and less free space, or less available time and less space.
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Um now you're probably asking, well, you know, why why this simple explanation of time and space?
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I'm going to try and give answers.
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Um and folks, this will be intuitive to folks who have both lived in the country and the city, like myself.
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I've lived in uh large cities when I was in the Coast Guard.
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I lived in San Diego, California.
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I lived in Charleston, South Carolina.
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It's not really a huge city, but it's a densely crowded city.
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Also live down in the country.
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But basically, when you have more available acreage to yourself on your residency, you can do whatever you want without any worry of running into somebody else or without harming anybody else.
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That's why fewer rules and regulations are needed in rural areas.
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So if you have lots and lots of acreage, you can Thomas Jefferson kind of envisioned us as an agrarian republic.
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He knew that an agrarian society probably had more freedom than a uh a highly condensed urban society.
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Well, I'm just guessing.
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Wait, well, well, no, you're absolutely right.
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Uh James Madison came up with the same idea.
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He wanted to amend the preamble uh to make sure that property or a certain amount of property would be available.
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Um let's talk about being in the country again, just to paint a picture here.
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If you have 10, 20 acres of property, let's just say to yourself, you're not in a dense-packed city, you can up open up the back door, you can fire off the 12 gauge without worry, you can have cookouts, you can uh have bonfires anytime you want, you can build a basketball court for that property.
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Heck, maybe if you had enough property, you wouldn't even have to follow the speed limit because you could possibly have a racetrack on this property, and you wouldn't have to worry about running your car into anymore.
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Um so available space naturally creates the condition of freedom.
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Also, with regards to time, if you don't have to work so much to obtain that space, you're gonna have more time to enjoy that space.
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Um, if you live in the city and you have to work several hours for a very small apartment, there are literally people living in New York City, and uh there are people in New York City and they live in ten by ten apartments.
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A hundred square foot apart for for some folks in New York City.
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That's how bad the condition costs.
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And if you're living in a small compact apartment by several other small apartments, you just can't do what you want to do.
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Again, getting back to the definition of freedom, freedom is the ability to do what you want.
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And if you live in a density packed city, you're gonna need more rules and regulations.
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You're gonna need more parking meters, you're gonna have uh more stoplights, you're only gonna be able to work, walk, um in in in certain areas.
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There will be restrictions on you feeding the animals.
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Um so when you live in a densely packed area, that condition that that condition naturally creates communism or collective control, whether we want to call it that or not.
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So if we have a a city and it gets or a town and it gets more densely compact, um with folks moving from out of state, even if all those folks are uh George Washington, Thomas Jefferson's loving people, uh they're they're naturally gonna work they're naturally gonna come to the conclusion that they need more rules and regulations so that folks can deal with these tight spaces.
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A lot of it has to do with where we can move, there will be more rules and regulations on where firearms can there will be more rules and regulations on on uh where people can and cannot have a bonfire or a cookout and whatnot.
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So we want to consider this in South Carolina when it comes to growing the economy.
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When we go to grow the economy in South Carolina, um it might not be an improved economy, meaning that the South Carolinians already living here and their children, they will not be able to afford as much living space per 40 hours worth of work if we do this thing called growing the economy.
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A lot of politicians use that.
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A lot of times they they advertise the economy of South Carolina to other states.
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Now, when we do that, it grows the gross size of the economy, it grows the gross size of the economy or the total size of the economy, however, the economy per person for the South Carolinian already living here gets worse.
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And again, just to quantify this, the area of living space earned for 40 hours worth of work becomes less and less in those cases when we are doing this so-called thing called growing the economy.
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And the evidence of this can be seen with Charleston and even its neighboring city, uh Somerville.
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Somerville used to be somewhat of a small town in maybe 2000.
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However, now it's densely packed, coffee is hard to afford.
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People have to work more and more hours for less space.
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They're stuck in traffic more.
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Okay, Alex.
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I hate to cut you off.
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Uh uh you already answered the question, I think, about uh the basic conditions for uh freedom.
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I I really want to get back to your book, uh the um The American Test.
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Um what you I think you might have answered this question already, but what inspired you to create the American Test?
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Why did you why did why did you write that book?
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And then uh and uh ask questions and the study guide.
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Well, it's it's a mixture of you know pride.
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I wanted to do it, I wanted to write a book.
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I think everybody wants to do that.
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Ever uh more importantly, I wanted to help my country in what ways that I could.
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And furthermore, ability.
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I one time I sat down, I read the Constitution, I'm like, I'm gonna read this document.
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I've never read it before, and uh I was really preparing for a tough read.
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And I read the document, I read it in about 45 minutes.
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The Constitution was done and over with, and I was very surprised.
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And then I got the idea I could make a test out of this uh Constitution.
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It's not that much material to cover, and since it's the supreme law of the land, since we all have to swear to uphold it in the military and in law enforcement, and since we talk about it all the time in history classes, we should develop a test on this constitution because it's practical, and uh that that's really what inspired me to do that.
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The uh practicality of this constitution test.
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It's its short size, motivated me to believe that I could create a test on this small amount of material.
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I remember going back to school back in the 50s and 60s, back when uh public schools actually gave you an education and they actually had civics courses, and they they mentioned the Constitution, they mentioned the Declaration of Independence, but they really didn't get into you know a lot of detail about the Constitution.
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So obviously, it's good to see that your American text is a book that's out there that now gives a lot more detail than what we learned in public schools or what they're not learning in public schools today.
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Um, how did you decide on the structure of the coursework?
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The full text, the writing exercises, uh explanation, the glossary.
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Well, why did you go into all that?
00:16:13.680 --> 00:16:28.960
Um what was in one of my books for the uh structure of my book, the way I arranged it, with the new book, you you have a uh copy of the white-covered book, I have a black covered book.
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In the white covered book, I put the learning exercises, the writing and relationship exercises at the beginning of the book.
00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:39.600
And what are writing and relationship exercises?
00:16:40.159 --> 00:16:44.879
Actually, you might um ask this in your next question.
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Let me just say, here's why I decided on the structure of my book, here's why I made it the way I made them.
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It's so people would learn more about the Constitution.
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That's the plain, simple answer.
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Okay.
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Um, and we could kind of get into the details of how these things help us with um some of your further questions.
00:17:04.960 --> 00:17:05.919
I don't know if I answered it.
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What are these what are these uh text recognition exercises and how and what role do they play in helping uh readers, the students understand the founding documents?
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What give me an example of a text recognition uh exercise?
00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:34.960
Well, text recognition exercises, that's really a fancy uh term for multiple choice questions.
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In the book, you have a whole entire practice exam in there.
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And it's much longer than the digital exam that people will receive.
00:18:00.730 --> 00:18:09.210
There are hundreds of questions in my books, and what they do is they force people to read the ratified text of the Constitution.
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Before you can have a deep understanding of the Constitution, you have to be very familiar with the superficial text.
00:18:15.930 --> 00:18:19.130
You have to know exactly what it is that you're trying to understand.
00:18:19.370 --> 00:18:24.330
And my belief, to understand the Constitution, you have to read the Constitution.
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You have to read the actual words chosen by the framers of the document.
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And the tax recognition exercises, they force people to deal with that ratified text of the Constitution.
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Uh, a constitutional interpretation uh may not help you.
00:18:41.930 --> 00:18:51.690
You can't give a Christian or an atheist point of view, you can't give a Democratic or Republican interpretation of the Constitution, you just have to know that uh Constitution.
00:18:51.770 --> 00:18:56.570
That's because text recognition exercises uh force people to do.
00:19:00.090 --> 00:19:06.250
The um in your book, you also talk about the concepts, the sword and the purse.
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What is that?
00:19:08.730 --> 00:19:10.490
What does that refer to?
00:19:12.490 --> 00:19:18.970
Um James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, they mentioned those terms.
00:19:19.610 --> 00:19:32.410
And uh Federalist 58, and then in Federalist 78, Federalist 58, it's about the House of Representatives, and Federalist 78, it focuses on the courts.
00:19:33.610 --> 00:19:40.010
And sort of in the first, it's much it's much more important than the Supreme Court.
00:19:40.170 --> 00:19:45.930
So in schools, we learn this Supreme Court-centered point of view of the Constitution.
00:19:46.650 --> 00:19:56.650
Um what's really important is who holds the sword and how much money that person is getting to wield that sword.
00:19:56.890 --> 00:20:09.130
So basically, militaries, police forces, and whatnot, um, they they can infringe greatly upon our freedoms if they are incredibly uh well funded.
00:20:09.530 --> 00:20:22.250
Um if you want to take away if you want to take away the brutality of the sword or the guns that the police have, you want to take away their money.
00:20:22.490 --> 00:20:33.930
James Madison said that uh that that the ability to defund militaries and police forces was the most important thing for protecting freedom.
00:20:34.090 --> 00:20:40.010
It's not necessarily a Bill of Rights argument in a court of law that will protect us.
00:20:40.170 --> 00:20:46.010
It's really our ability to fund or defund things that will affect our freedoms.
00:20:46.090 --> 00:20:51.210
Now, sometimes, you know, it is good to fund the military or police forces.
00:20:51.290 --> 00:20:52.970
We want them to some degree.
00:20:53.290 --> 00:20:57.690
But when they turn deviant, we want to defund them.
00:20:58.410 --> 00:21:06.250
And uh all bills for raising revenue beginning the House of Representatives, that's the first line of Article 1, Section 7.
00:21:06.490 --> 00:21:09.530
That might be one of the most important lines in the U.S.
00:21:09.610 --> 00:21:10.170
Constitution.
00:21:10.250 --> 00:21:16.570
That might be more important than even the Bill of Rights when it comes to preserving our freedom.
00:21:17.210 --> 00:21:21.930
Um also it's uh we gotta think about economics as well.
00:21:22.170 --> 00:21:25.930
We talked about the Second Amendment, gun rights, and stuff like that.
00:21:26.010 --> 00:21:34.410
Let's just say that the Supreme Court says that we can have any type of firearm or any type of ammunition that that we want to.
00:21:34.650 --> 00:21:47.450
And I do believe it that that should be the ruling, at least with things that you can carry with both of your two arms according to Black's law dictionary and according to the intention of the Second Amendment.
00:21:47.690 --> 00:22:03.530
However, if the government has a lot of money, what they can literally use, they can go in, they can buy up all the bullets and guns, and for all practical purposes, they take away our Second Amendment rights.
00:22:03.690 --> 00:22:30.010
So Yeah, they did that a couple years ago when uh the uh government had all kinds of purchase orders that basically bought up all the nine millimeter ammunition, and us regular average citizens couldn't buy any nine millimeter ammunitions because the government had all of these procurement contracts for ATF for every every government agency where employees car carried guns, so we couldn't even get ammunitions.
00:22:30.170 --> 00:22:33.610
This is about what it was about 10 years ago, 15 years ago?
00:22:33.850 --> 00:22:35.290
So that did happen.
00:22:35.930 --> 00:22:39.210
Plus, you um you mentioned about you know the purse and the sword.
00:22:39.530 --> 00:22:45.050
Uh our founding fathers kind of had mixed signals about uh an army.
00:22:45.370 --> 00:22:49.610
They um they were leery of a standing army because of the British, right?
00:22:49.770 --> 00:22:53.450
But they also wanted a citizen army with the militia.
00:22:53.770 --> 00:23:00.170
So maybe that's why they put in the Constitution that the army was only going to be funded for two years.
00:23:00.410 --> 00:23:09.210
Um you know, in the uh Article 1, Section 8, it talks about Congress has you know just to fund the army for two years.
00:23:09.370 --> 00:23:12.570
That way they had some control over the purse of the army.
00:23:12.650 --> 00:23:16.410
Now I don't know if they have that today, but that was their original thoughts.
00:23:16.570 --> 00:23:18.010
What do you think about that?
00:23:18.250 --> 00:23:24.410
Um Oh no, I'd say that's a pretty good observation.
00:23:25.370 --> 00:23:34.170
I also noticed that the House of Representatives, their term in office, that matches with that uh length of time that we can fund an army for.
00:23:34.330 --> 00:23:42.490
So, you know, once again, the armies, as you pointed out, according to the Constitution, Article 18 says armies can only be funded for two years.
00:23:42.650 --> 00:23:54.970
Well, also, um, all spending begins with the House of Representatives, or it's supposed to, anyways, and a House of Representative term uh lasts for two years as well.
00:23:55.050 --> 00:24:00.490
It matches up with that um that length of time that an army can be funded for.
00:24:00.650 --> 00:24:10.170
So maybe the thought behind that was if the army is infringing upon our rights, if the army is getting too power-hungry or we have a deviant ruler.
00:24:11.530 --> 00:24:13.130
Um the thought behind.
00:24:14.970 --> 00:24:16.970
We'll we'll move on here again.
00:24:17.770 --> 00:24:24.730
In your book, you uh you talk about the connection between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
00:24:24.890 --> 00:24:29.290
Now, the time frame between those two documents is many, many years.
00:24:29.530 --> 00:24:39.850
I mean you had the con the Declaration of Independence signed in what seven seven 1776, and the Constitution wasn't ratified until at least a decade later.
00:24:40.090 --> 00:24:43.610
So what's the what's the connection between those two documents?
00:24:45.450 --> 00:24:49.690
Well, I it's the Constitution, it makes mention of the Declaration of Independence.
00:24:49.770 --> 00:24:56.730
Um the Constitution said it was um it refers to the Declaration in Article 7.
00:24:58.090 --> 00:24:59.690
So how are they related?
00:24:59.930 --> 00:25:12.570
There were events um cited in the Declaration of Independence that were influential to our Constitution, such as with the uh the King's ability to fire judges at will.
00:25:12.890 --> 00:25:32.890
So judicial pay and their time in office were entirely contingent upon upon the uh they were fully contingent upon King George's will in our Constitution, and I'm just giving one example of here among many.
00:25:34.330 --> 00:25:37.450
Um in the Constitution, judges have life in office.
00:25:37.530 --> 00:25:41.690
I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but maybe it's better than what King George had.
00:25:43.290 --> 00:25:53.690
Um presidents can appoint judges, however, they have to um make a group choice with the Senate to appoint those judges under the Constitution.
00:25:53.850 --> 00:26:15.370
So we have a president that's kind of like an elected king, kinda sort of, but he doesn't have sole power to appoint judges, and uh the appointment of judges was pointed out, or the uh or the corrupt appointment of judges was pointed out in the declaration of independence.
00:26:15.610 --> 00:26:22.570
Um there were several events listed in the Declaration of Independence that you know influenced our our Constitution.
00:26:22.890 --> 00:26:26.330
The Declaration is a historical uh document.
00:26:26.490 --> 00:26:32.810
It marks the separation of our nation away from Great Britain.
00:26:34.330 --> 00:26:39.850
Um but the Declaration of Independence is not the Supreme Law itself.
00:26:40.010 --> 00:26:54.410
The Constitution is very much a reflection on the Declaration of Independence, but the Constitution is a document on how to uh correct all the wrongs that King George did.
00:26:54.570 --> 00:26:58.730
So that would be the relation between the two documents, in my opinion.
00:26:58.890 --> 00:27:01.130
That's my opinion, that's my interpretation.
00:27:01.850 --> 00:27:04.970
And uh I I don't know if you have any thoughts on that, Steve.
00:27:06.490 --> 00:27:16.650
The uh wasn't there a philosophical background to the Declaration of In Independence heavily influenced by the works of John Locke.
00:27:17.050 --> 00:27:39.450
So the Declaration of Independence kind of had a a philosophical setting to it, uh, were the uh private property and the and the right, you know, the basically individual freedom and liberty and uh right to personal property, or the Constitution a decade later, did it still reflect those same philosophical concepts of like John Locke?
00:27:42.410 --> 00:27:44.650
Or there was somebody else at play there.
00:27:47.050 --> 00:27:56.410
Um the fear of uh excessive government was there because you mentioned about the separation of powers and stuff and the constitution.
00:27:57.130 --> 00:28:02.330
Well, I believe that the Declaration of Independence was probably influenced by John Locke.
00:28:02.490 --> 00:28:08.410
I'd say a lot of it sounds like the Law of Nations to me, which was written by Emmerday Vittel.
00:28:10.250 --> 00:28:15.290
Um a lot of it was based on probably Aristotle as well.
00:28:15.370 --> 00:28:16.650
He wrote um politics.
00:28:16.730 --> 00:28:30.570
Aristotle studied hundreds of constitutions, but uh I I would say that I I mean there are hundreds of uh philosophical inspirations for the Declaration of Independence.
00:28:30.810 --> 00:28:34.730
Thomas Jefferson, he was well read in pretty much everything I said.
00:28:36.970 --> 00:28:45.610
Yeah, I hate to I hate to correct the Founding Fathers, but in the Declaration of Independence, they talk about uh life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
00:28:45.770 --> 00:28:50.410
When really it should have been life, liberty, and the pursuit of property.
00:28:50.650 --> 00:28:52.650
What do you think about that statement?
00:28:52.890 --> 00:28:54.490
That was John Locke.
00:28:55.210 --> 00:28:57.450
Well, um Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Property.
00:28:57.850 --> 00:29:00.090
Okay, life, liberty, and the pursuit of property.
00:29:00.330 --> 00:29:11.770
Now, James Madison, the first proposed amendment to the Constitution, as far as I know, um, I read the Bill of Rights Debates uh transcripts in the annals of Congress.
00:29:12.410 --> 00:29:17.610
The first proposed amendment to uh the Constitution was to the preamble.
00:29:18.970 --> 00:29:30.490
James Madison wanted to say that all of us have a right to property with that amendment to the preamble, with this proposed amendment.
00:29:30.650 --> 00:29:33.450
Now the idea of that was shot down.
00:29:34.250 --> 00:29:44.490
Um it's not that the it's not that the other framers of the Bill of Rights were against uh that idea.
00:29:44.730 --> 00:29:48.970
They said that the preamble already means that by itself.
00:29:49.210 --> 00:30:00.570
So James Madison, James Madison, he wanted to add a more uh lengthier description to the preamble.
00:30:01.290 --> 00:30:09.290
He wanted it to be longer, but the other framers at the Bill of Rights debates, they said, no, no, no, that's not necessary.
00:30:09.930 --> 00:30:15.690
The preamble already means that without adding those extra words.
00:30:16.010 --> 00:30:27.450
But James Madison, the father of the Constitution, he wanted to add something into that preamble about the ability to obtain property.
00:30:28.570 --> 00:30:37.610
And uh, I think we went over that with our uh with our discussion on time, space, and uh freedom, breaking freedom down into those uh simple terms.
00:30:37.690 --> 00:30:42.330
We said that copy is necessary for liberty.
00:30:42.490 --> 00:30:46.650
You can't have liberty without property or without uh living space.
00:30:48.170 --> 00:30:52.250
Well, I've mentioned the philosophical sources for these two documents.
00:30:52.490 --> 00:31:03.530
You talk about, you draw some sources from the Law of Nations, Congressional Transcripts, Black's Law Dictionary, and the Federalist Papers.
00:31:03.770 --> 00:31:08.890
How do these sources deepen a reader's understanding of those documents?
00:31:12.250 --> 00:31:24.570
Um well, the law of nations, um that discusses some things about immigration that are popular today in our in the U.S.
00:31:24.650 --> 00:31:34.010
Constitution, Article 1, Section 8, says that Congress has the power to define and uh punish offenses against the law of nations.
00:31:34.330 --> 00:31:41.370
And my belief is that's where we derive our immigration powers from in the U.S.
00:31:41.530 --> 00:31:42.570
Constitution.
00:31:43.050 --> 00:31:50.250
Uh the framers were very the framers uh were very inspired by Vittel.
00:31:50.330 --> 00:32:06.090
They knew exactly who Amr Day Vittel was, and uh they they felt uh if you want to learn more about what the term Law of Nations is, you want to read Emmer Day Vittel.
00:32:06.330 --> 00:32:23.770
Um, also in Emmer Day Vittel's Law of Nations, not only does he talk about immigration, he talks about all types of international matters, about which the contingencies should be for treaties, if we're trading for someone, about whether we should accept somebody's customs or not.
00:32:23.930 --> 00:32:46.650
So today we talk about Israel in the United States, and we have anti-BDS laws in our uh in many of our state governments, meaning that we can't, meaning that companies that contract with government cannot be involved in a protest against Israel.
00:32:47.530 --> 00:32:52.970
And there are some other nations there too, but Israel's just a common example that comes up these days.
00:32:53.610 --> 00:33:16.410
But Vattel, to address that situation, uh Vattel, if he were in office, according to his writings, I'm imagining if he were in office, he would not want us giving in to the cultural demands of Israel if we're developing trade relations with Israel.
00:33:16.490 --> 00:33:36.890
Because Vattel would say, we're the bigger, stronger nation, we have 300 plus million people, we develop this robust proven economy that's guided us through all types of uh circumstances from 1776 all the way through World War II, uh, before Israel was in existence.
00:33:37.370 --> 00:34:00.170
He would say that um he would say that contracting laws, he would say that uh government contracting laws should not be contingent uh upon these uh anti-BDS regulations that some foreign entity might be demanding.
00:34:00.250 --> 00:34:05.210
I don't know if it's um us that demands that or if it's them that demands that.
00:34:05.290 --> 00:34:15.369
Um but if somebody wants to contract with the government, they should be able to protest what they want to, as long as the protest is legal.
00:34:15.530 --> 00:34:19.050
Um, or as long as it's constitutionalized, I should say.
00:34:19.610 --> 00:34:33.369
So when it comes to uh trade negotiations, uh Vattel would say it would tell the United States not to give in to another nation's cultural demands in case we are trading with them.
00:34:33.529 --> 00:34:38.969
That's what Vattel would say, unless we happen to be in a weaker position.
00:34:39.449 --> 00:34:42.729
So um that's some of the stuff that comes up in Vittel's book.
00:34:42.809 --> 00:34:46.489
He talks about war, when to when to go to war, when not to.
00:34:47.049 --> 00:34:50.489
He talks about a lot of the same stuff that Aristotle talked about, too.
00:34:50.809 --> 00:34:58.329
He says that the purpose of uh society is to create the most happiness or the most pleasure in the society.
00:34:58.569 --> 00:35:06.489
Vittel and Vattel, Aristotle, and Thomas Jefferson all said that.
00:35:07.129 --> 00:35:16.009
Thomas Jefferson said that life, you know, men should be able to pursue life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
00:35:17.209 --> 00:35:21.369
And Aristotle said that that's the purpose of government as well.
00:35:21.609 --> 00:35:36.569
Um I don't know if we want government to uh help us to create this happiness, but we don't want government to infringe upon our freedoms uh to have that happiness.
00:35:37.609 --> 00:35:48.249
Uh but Aristotle said that the point of coming into a group or entering into a group contract, such as a society, society is a big group contract.
00:35:49.209 --> 00:35:56.489
The point of entering into that group contract is to create the most happiness with the most pleasure possible.
00:35:58.009 --> 00:36:00.009
Um well beyond some survival.
00:36:01.849 --> 00:36:02.249
Go ahead.
00:36:02.649 --> 00:36:13.529
I'm for it it's my understanding that the Constitution, you know, we're we're a nation under the rule of law, and the constitution is it seems to be the basis of that law.
00:36:13.769 --> 00:36:30.169
But yet we had a Supreme Court justice, Ruth Bader-Ginsburg, who bel who made a statement that uh our law uh can also be based on, or precedent law can also be based on the laws in other countries.
00:36:30.409 --> 00:36:38.329
To me, that doesn't sound like she's ever read your book or ever read the Constitution or taken the exercises.
00:36:38.489 --> 00:36:47.929
How can you have a Supreme Court justice believe that the United States should come under the law of other foreign countries?
00:36:48.489 --> 00:36:49.929
I don't understand that.
00:36:50.489 --> 00:36:56.169
If that was the case, it would have to be some type of an interpretation of treaties.
00:36:56.489 --> 00:37:02.169
Now, now treaties they are law according to Article 6 of the document.
00:37:02.329 --> 00:37:09.049
So you have Article 6 in the Constitution, says that treaties are in fact laws themselves.
00:37:10.169 --> 00:37:14.889
In treaties, that that's one case where the president can generate laws.
00:37:15.129 --> 00:37:18.729
Of course, they have to be certified by the Senate.
00:37:19.769 --> 00:37:22.009
But maybe that's well, obviously.
00:37:22.649 --> 00:37:23.209
Go ahead.
00:37:23.929 --> 00:37:26.249
But I'm against what she she is saying.
00:37:26.409 --> 00:37:35.449
Um I guess you can have any law, but that's only as long as it doesn't violate the parameters of the Constitution.
00:37:37.609 --> 00:37:44.889
Well, obviously, there's a gap in what uh Americans are being taught about the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
00:37:45.049 --> 00:37:53.849
What do you think is the the biggest gap in uh constitutional literacy among uh students in the United States?
00:37:54.009 --> 00:37:56.489
What is it that they don't understand the most?
00:37:58.409 --> 00:38:02.169
Well, I mean, I I tried to hit that on the head with my book.
00:38:02.729 --> 00:38:04.089
People just have to read it.
00:38:04.249 --> 00:38:11.049
So again, that's why I wrote my book, and that's why I wrote it the way I wrote it, with these identification exercises.
00:38:11.529 --> 00:38:15.529
My book used to be called the Exact Volks Test before it was called the American test.
00:38:15.849 --> 00:38:18.489
Um, people have to actually read the Constitution.
00:38:18.649 --> 00:38:29.849
It's not really a good idea to listen to other people's interpretations and tell people have a good footing in that superficial text of that constitution.
00:38:30.089 --> 00:38:34.489
So that's it's such a simple idea, but people just don't get it.
00:38:34.729 --> 00:38:40.569
Um my book was made to uh motivate people to do that.
00:38:40.809 --> 00:38:51.129
You can take the electronic version of the American test, you can take the electronic version of the American test, and you can get a score and a certificate.
00:38:51.689 --> 00:38:56.889
And uh, you know, again, my test it forces people to read the Constitution.
00:38:56.969 --> 00:39:03.369
There's no way to get an 80 or 90 score unless you're well versed in the superficial text of the Constitution.
00:39:03.529 --> 00:39:14.329
Now, with other civics of education, when they ask questions, uh you answer about interpretations of the Constitution.
00:39:14.569 --> 00:39:19.209
You don't really have to verify exact quotes from the Constitution.
00:39:19.289 --> 00:39:22.889
You don't have to verify the text of the Constitution.
00:39:23.929 --> 00:39:29.849
Um and you know, one thing here's what we want to do.
00:39:30.009 --> 00:39:30.169
No.
00:39:31.049 --> 00:39:31.929
Here's what we want to do.
00:39:32.009 --> 00:39:47.209
If we're interpreting the Constitution, or if we're hearing interpretations about the Constitution, if we're hearing these philosophies, we want to see if these philosophers can even recognize the premises which they are basing these philosophies on.
00:39:47.689 --> 00:40:01.849
So if some uh constitutional wizard has this grand idea about the Constitution, if somebody comes out and he says he's the reincarnation of John Adams, for instance.
00:40:02.169 --> 00:40:12.089
I don't know if anybody would really say that or not, but you know, some people think that that they're just like John Adams or one of these rake founders and framers, or they act like they ought.
00:40:12.649 --> 00:40:20.569
I think it would be good to see if they could even recognize the text of the Constitution before we listen to their interpretation.
00:40:20.969 --> 00:40:24.089
And this is just basic stuff from geometry.
00:40:24.249 --> 00:40:34.249
If you look at the cover of my book, um, if you look at the cover, if you look at the cover of my book, there is a flag with geometric symbols on it.
00:40:34.569 --> 00:40:35.849
I designed that.
00:40:36.089 --> 00:40:42.329
Geometry really inspired me, um, it really inspired my ideas about the Constitution.
00:40:42.649 --> 00:40:54.889
But if somebody has a conclusion, they claim to have a great conclusion, you should greatly question that conclusion if they don't know the premises which they base that conclusion on.
00:40:55.289 --> 00:40:58.889
To have a great conclusion, you have to know the premise well.
00:40:59.049 --> 00:41:00.809
You have to know it incredibly well.
00:41:01.129 --> 00:41:13.449
Um, otherwise, your conclusion or your coordinate interpretation or your legal ideas in the uh state or federal legislature are uh not going to be good.
00:41:14.009 --> 00:41:20.329
You have to know the premises well, you have to know the ratified text of the Constitution like the back of your hand.
00:41:20.489 --> 00:41:28.169
Now I can go a little bit more in depth about that if you like, um, but but people have to be really well read in the Constitution.
00:41:28.249 --> 00:41:30.489
That's what the whole entire United States needs.
00:41:30.649 --> 00:41:33.129
So you have to be read well in the Constitution.
00:41:34.569 --> 00:41:35.849
So I kind of feed that way.
00:41:36.249 --> 00:41:39.689
If you were going to um, I'm gonna cut you off again, sorry.
00:41:40.169 --> 00:41:40.489
Go for it.
00:41:40.729 --> 00:41:56.409
If you were gonna open up an educational institution that to teach your your book and your concepts, what segment of the population would you focus on, or what age group would you focus on to f to teach your your book, the American Test?
00:41:57.209 --> 00:41:58.809
Who needs it the most?
00:42:00.169 --> 00:42:04.729
Uh probably 16 to 16 to 35.
00:42:05.209 --> 00:42:08.089
Probably it was intended to be a book.
00:42:08.649 --> 00:42:16.649
It's for a uh sophomore or senior in high school, or it's intended for people in the first two years of college.
00:42:16.809 --> 00:42:19.289
That's the age group that it's intended for.
00:42:20.809 --> 00:42:23.849
Yeah, they have to have the capabilities to understand what you're talking about.
00:42:24.089 --> 00:42:31.369
Maybe the the younger, like fourth grade, fifth grade might be too too um too early.
00:42:31.609 --> 00:42:37.209
Probably a better book for them would be those twin series tips about the freedom and limited government.
00:42:37.289 --> 00:42:38.169
What do they call that book?
00:42:38.249 --> 00:42:39.529
The something twins?
00:42:39.769 --> 00:42:41.129
You've probably heard that.
00:42:41.449 --> 00:42:43.529
Yeah, um, no.
00:42:43.849 --> 00:42:53.289
Um I just so so so what about you mentioned you'd focus on uh like uh eighth graders or people in that uh age group.
00:42:53.529 --> 00:42:56.649
What other segment of the population would you focus on?
00:42:57.129 --> 00:43:02.809
Well, uh, I'd like it for 11th and 12th graders and people in the first two years of college.
00:43:02.969 --> 00:43:12.329
Um I'd like it to be at about that age group because these people are going into the service, they'll be going into police forces and whatnot.
00:43:12.809 --> 00:43:19.049
Um, that's the education level, anyways, that um would be required to get through my book.
00:43:19.209 --> 00:43:38.569
So my my book doesn't require a doctorate degree to get through, but they need to have had a few English courses and and whatnot, as even though the Constitution is a small bit of uh material, um bit tricky, some of the sentences and whatnot.
00:43:38.809 --> 00:43:39.449
Yeah.
00:43:40.649 --> 00:43:44.169
You know, it's important that we all you know continue our education.
00:43:44.249 --> 00:43:53.769
Uh I was a quality auditor for many years, and I'd I'd spent a lot of time as an adult going to a site called Khan Academy.
00:43:54.009 --> 00:44:01.769
If I wanted to learn about a particular process or a particular engineering uh skill, I would go to Khan Academy.
00:44:01.929 --> 00:44:23.369
It'd be nice if um you had the our our politicians, our our state and federal representatives and senators and stuff, if they could go to a site to learn about the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence from your perspective, because I think there's a big educational deficiency right there with our uh elected representatives.
00:44:23.529 --> 00:44:27.929
I mean, they they're doing a terrible job of upholding the Constitution.
00:44:28.489 --> 00:44:34.809
Well, um, I'd like to address political parties, the Libertarian Party, the Republican Party, Democratic Party, no matter what.
00:44:34.969 --> 00:44:38.089
Um, I think we might want to start doing this in the Libertarian Party.
00:44:38.329 --> 00:44:45.209
We might want to vet our candidates based on some type of constitutional test score.
00:44:45.449 --> 00:44:48.329
Um, because otherwise we just get into demagoguery.
00:44:48.409 --> 00:44:59.209
We're just um we're just uh basing our vote on their personalities or their ability or their ability to act in front of the public.
00:45:00.649 --> 00:45:06.649
I think that all congressmen should take the American test, and we should be able to see their score.
00:45:06.729 --> 00:45:08.569
We should be able to see the score of candidates.
00:45:08.809 --> 00:45:18.729
So if you have a candidate that's running for the Libertarian Party, and they get a 50% on this American test, uh we might want to question those.
00:45:27.929 --> 00:45:30.329
It's not time to learn the Constitution when they get into office.
00:45:30.569 --> 00:45:35.609
When they get into office, they need to know that Constitution like the back of their hand.
00:45:35.849 --> 00:45:37.689
And that's even if they're at the state level.
00:45:37.849 --> 00:45:41.129
They need to need to know the US Constitution and the State Constitution.
00:45:41.849 --> 00:45:44.169
The US Constitution applies everywhere.
00:45:44.409 --> 00:45:49.449
But uh they really need to uh know that Constitution like the back of their hand.
00:45:50.489 --> 00:45:59.769
Well probably the place to bring this up to our representatives is when they're first campaigning for public office and they make their uh their campaign stops.
00:46:00.089 --> 00:46:03.689
Or when they're elected, they come back and they do these town halls.
00:46:03.929 --> 00:46:12.489
I used to ask uh representatives when they came doing a town hall, I'd say, what is the purpose of the Constitution?
00:46:12.969 --> 00:46:16.009
And I'd get all kinds of crazy answers.
00:46:16.249 --> 00:46:24.569
You know, nowhere near the fact that the the purpose of their constitution is to preserve and protect our inalienable rights.
00:46:24.809 --> 00:46:26.649
Nobody ever said anything like that.
00:46:26.889 --> 00:46:31.849
It's like, well, the purpose of the Constitution is to make sure that our kids are well educated.
00:46:32.249 --> 00:46:36.489
Or we need to make sure that uh all citizens have access to health care.
00:46:37.049 --> 00:46:38.089
I'm going, what?
00:46:38.249 --> 00:46:39.769
Where did you come from?
00:46:40.729 --> 00:46:42.649
What civics class did you take?
00:46:43.129 --> 00:46:45.129
You know, that really weird answers.
00:46:45.609 --> 00:46:48.329
So, yeah, uh-uh, your book is extremely important.
00:46:48.489 --> 00:46:57.049
And my final question is do you plan on having a a follow-up set of books that will teach the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution?
00:46:57.209 --> 00:47:00.809
Do you have any follow-up um books coming out?
00:47:01.369 --> 00:47:03.289
No, I just really want to keep into this.
00:47:03.609 --> 00:47:11.689
I I think sometimes uh the writer who writes least likes best, and evidence of that can be seen with the Declaration of Independence.
00:47:12.409 --> 00:47:22.009
Um I could never write so efficiently as uh Thomas Jefferson did with 1300 words, I would be quite pleased with myself.
00:47:22.409 --> 00:47:27.129
Um I'll never be as good of a writer as he is, but I'm still gonna write the least impossible.
00:47:27.929 --> 00:47:31.289
I just want to keep the material to as small as possible.
00:47:31.689 --> 00:47:36.969
And uh I just make people read the Constitution and that's good enough for me.
00:47:37.209 --> 00:47:50.169
If I write any other books, there'll probably be some flapstick, uh belligerent comedy things that are uh the exact opposite thing of uh law and whatnot.
00:47:52.489 --> 00:47:55.209
But that one takes time and effort to write a book.
00:47:55.289 --> 00:47:56.409
I I know that.
00:47:56.889 --> 00:48:04.329
And uh you currently have that kind of time and effort, or you have uh uh uh other things to do to make a living?
00:48:05.049 --> 00:48:08.329
Uh you know, I've been uh working full time.
00:48:08.649 --> 00:48:13.929
Uh when I wrote my books and how I would do them, I would just open up my computer every night.
00:48:15.929 --> 00:48:16.649
Write one thing.
00:48:16.729 --> 00:48:23.769
I I my only goal would be to open up the computer desk change one thing or add one thing to it.
00:48:24.809 --> 00:48:33.369
Over a period of months, I was able to help one step at a time.
00:48:34.569 --> 00:48:37.609
Uh more consistency than it is.
00:48:39.209 --> 00:48:40.969
Yeah, right.
00:48:42.889 --> 00:48:49.209
So you could write a sequel, but it would take take time, probably a matter of years before you get something out.
00:48:49.929 --> 00:48:50.249
Okay.
00:48:50.809 --> 00:48:53.529
Well, Alex, uh, thanks for being on the show today.
00:48:53.929 --> 00:49:13.529
You know, we're living in an era of massive executive overreach, judicial activism, infringements on just about every right that's outlined in the first ten amendments of our constitution, and a government so large that it no longer represents we the people.
00:49:14.409 --> 00:49:28.489
So a major takeaway from today's conversation is that a free society depends on citizens understanding the principles of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
00:49:29.289 --> 00:49:43.769
If our elected officials read your book, answered the review questions, completed the writing exercises and quizzes, maybe, just maybe, we would have less government and more freedom.
00:49:44.089 --> 00:49:46.569
So thanks again for being on the show, Alex.
00:49:47.129 --> 00:49:54.329
And now a word from our glorious leader and the executive producer of Liberty Crack Media, Tripp Detmering.
00:49:54.969 --> 00:50:05.129
Well, I want to thank Alex and Steve for another fascinating uh episode of Conversations with the Hoff, and everybody has got to get a hold of the American test U.S.
00:50:05.289 --> 00:50:06.089
Constitution.
00:50:06.329 --> 00:50:35.769
We will have links in the comment section of these podcasts to Barnes Noble, where you can get the American test, you can get the American Test Declaration Constitution book, you can also get the uh exam, uh, the test exam book, uh, the test exam answer key and the test exam book two gold standard of the American Social Science Sciences, all from Alexander Higgins.
00:50:35.849 --> 00:50:39.129
And you will have those links in our uh comment section.
00:50:39.289 --> 00:50:47.849
Again, I want to thank you two, and if you want to find out more and have more exciting podcasts, go to Libertycraft Media.com.
00:50:48.169 --> 00:50:48.969
Thank you, gentlemen.
00:50:51.049 --> 00:50:57.609
Lean in close, got a question in a black coffee glow.
00:50:58.729 --> 00:51:05.769
From campus quads to the Capitol steps, we're talking who we are.
00:51:07.129 --> 00:51:08.809
What comes next?
00:51:09.609 --> 00:51:20.329
Conversations with a hove, where the big ideas kick the shoes off, liberty tradition, side by side, argue, laugh, and let it rise.
00:51:20.569 --> 00:51:24.809
Conversations with a hop, turn it up and turn it over in your mind.
00:51:28.569 --> 00:51:32.889
Tax to the hill or left alone.
00:51:34.249 --> 00:51:38.169
How much power do we lawn?
00:51:39.449 --> 00:51:41.129
Rise on paper.
00:51:42.169 --> 00:51:43.369
Rise in hand.
00:51:44.889 --> 00:51:48.649
Where do we draw that line in the sand?
00:51:49.929 --> 00:51:54.649
Conversations with the hall, where the big ideas kick the shoes off.
00:51:55.369 --> 00:51:56.809
Liberty tradition.
00:51:57.129 --> 00:52:00.489
Side by side, argue, laugh, and let it rise.
00:52:00.889 --> 00:52:02.089
Conversations with the hall.
00:52:02.729 --> 00:52:05.129
Turn it up and turn it over in your mind.
00:52:16.809 --> 00:52:18.169
Is it either off?
00:52:19.689 --> 00:52:21.289
Or in between?
00:52:22.409 --> 00:52:26.569
Old school roots and a freedom dream.
00:52:27.689 --> 00:52:29.369
Pull a thread.
00:52:30.169 --> 00:52:32.009
See what you find.
00:52:33.129 --> 00:52:34.649
One more question.
00:52:35.529 --> 00:52:37.049
We're out of time.
00:52:38.169 --> 00:52:39.529
Conversations with the hall.
00:52:40.249 --> 00:52:42.969
Where the big ideas kick the shoes off.
00:52:43.609 --> 00:52:46.489
Liberty, tradition, side by side.
00:52:46.729 --> 00:52:48.889
Argue, laugh, and let it ride.
00:52:49.129 --> 00:52:50.249
Conversations with the hall.
00:52:50.809 --> 00:52:54.729
Hit subscribe and take a little time to think it through.
