The Ninth Amendment is not a one-off historical anachronism aimed at protecting nonexistent rights. Instead, it should be construed by the courts as a bulwark against undue governmental interference …
Tocqueville and the Earthbound American Spirit
This article assesses the gulf between Tocqueville’s claim that human beings have naturally transcendent souls and his observations of the democratic souls of Americans. Tocqueville holds that …
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A Practical Solution to the Death of the American Dream
Has slowing class mobility caused the shift in American culture away from the traditional “American Dream”? Or has this shift in American culture caused slowing class mobility? Since 1776, the …
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Should Pornography that Patently Objectifies Women be Banned?
The debate around banning pornography that objectifies women fractured the feminist movement. Future attempts to outlaw pornography will follow the precedent set forth in Osbourne v. …
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Bionic Wings
“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . …
What Does “all men are created equal” Mean?
Some have all too quickly used the term “post-racial” to describe America now that a black president has been elected and re-elected for a second term. It will take much more time than just eight …
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The Role of Christianity in Hobbes’s Political Project
For Hobbes, religion is not inherently beneficial for society. Instead, good theology is required in order to make religion useful. Alexis de Tocqueville famously suggested in Democracy in …
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The Problem of the West[ern]
Three great Western films—Stagecoach, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and the contemporary No Country for Old Men—delve deep into the American psyche and make a broad claim that the …
Neoliberal Evolution of the Space Exploration Industry in Relation to the Tech Industry
Ingenuity is a part of the American character. As Americans, we must reflect on the mistakes of our past in the evolution of Tech to best approach the coming evolution of the space exploration …
Anti-Hispanic Sentiment and U.S.-Mexican Relations
Late one warm July evening, a sea of thousands of people stood packed into an enormous sports arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The rambunctious crowd joined together in a rumbling chant that could be heard …
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In God We Trust: Reconciling Religiosity in a Secular Nation
Since its founding, the United States has been composed of a diversity of religions, making religious tolerance and the separation of church and state necessary for the maintenance of a peaceful …
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Compass is an online journal that provides a space for the work of talented undergraduates who have original and well-articulated insights on important ideas and issues relating to American democracy understood in the broad contexts of political philosophy, history, literature, economics, and culture.