American Political Rhetoric

Peter Augustine Lawler is Dana Professor and chair of the Department of Government and International Studies at Berry College in Georgia. Robert Martin Schaefer is chair of the Department of Political Science & Planning and professor of political science at the University of West Georgia.

Website Introduction 1. Founding Principles The Declaration of Independence (1776) Federalist 9 Federalist 10 Federalist 47 Federalist 48 Federalist 49 Federalist 51 Centinel, Letter I (1787) James Madison, On Property (1792) George Washington, Farewell Address (1796) Thomas Jefferson, Letter to John Adams (1813) 2. Federalism Federalist 39 Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia (1784) McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) Hammer v. Dagenhart (1918) United States v. Darby (1941) Garcia v. San Antonio Metropolitan Transit Authority (1985) United States v. Lopez (1995) 3. Congress and President Federalist 57 Federalist 63 Federalist 70 Federalist 71 Federalist 73 Abraham Lincoln, Message to Congress in Special Session (1861) Franklin D. Roosevelt, Message to Congress (1942) War Powers Resolution (1973) Barack Obama, Report to the House of Representative Regarding United States Activities in Libya (2011) United States v. Nixon (1974) Gerald R. Ford, The Nixon Pardon (1974) George W. Bush, Statement on the Intelligence Authorization Act (2004) Barack Obama, Memorandum on Presidential Signing Statements (2009) Barack Obama, Second Inaugural Address (2013) Barack Obama, Address to the Nation on Immigration (2014) 4. Judiciary Brutus, Essay XI (1788) Federalist 78 Marbury v. Madison (1803) Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural Address (1861) Franklin D. Roosevelt, Court-Packing Address (1937) William J. Brennan Jr., Speech to the Text and Teaching Symposium, Georgetown University (1985) The Northwest Ordinance (1787) Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Nehemiah Dodge and Others: A Committee of the Danbury Baptist Association, in the State of Connecticut (1802) Lee v. Weisman (1992) McCreary v. American Civil Liberties Union (2005) Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. (2014) District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) 5. Parties and Elections James Madison, Parties (1792) Robert M. La Follette, The Danger Threatening Representative Government (1897) Woodrow Wilson, Constitutional Government in the United States (1908) Franklin D. Roosevelt, Fireside Chat on Party Primaries (1938) The McGovern-Fraser Commission Report (1971) Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) 6. Constitutional Preservation and Political Change Woodrow Wilson, Constitutional Government in the United States (1908) Franklin D. Roosevelt, Commonwealth Club Campaign Speech (1932) Franklin D. Roosevelt, Address to the Young Democratic Clubs of America (1935) Lyndon B. Johnson, State of the Union Address (1964) Lyndon B. Johnson, Commencement Address at the University of Michigan (1964) Ronald Reagan, State of the Union Address (1982) George W. Bush, Remarks on Stem Cell Research (2001) Barack Obama, Remarks on the Stem Cell Executive Order and Scientific Integrity Presidential Memorandum (2009) 7. Civil Rights: Race Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) Sections of the U.S. Constitution Concerning Slavery Thomas Jefferson, Draft of the Declaration of Independence (1776) Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia (1784) Abraham Lincoln, Speech on the Repeal of the Missouri Compromise (1854) Frederick Douglass, Address for the Promotion of Colored Enlistment (1864) Alexander Stephens, Corner Stone Speech (1861) Abraham Lincoln, Final Text of the Address Delivered at the Dedication of the Cemetery at Gettysburg (1863) Frederick Douglass, Oration in Memory of Abraham Lincoln (1876) Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Lyndon B. Johnson, Address on Voting Rights (1965) Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) Grutter v. Bollinger (2003) Barack Obama, A More Perfect Union (2008) Ricci v. DeStefano (2009) Barack Obama, Morehouse Commencement Address (2013) Barack Obama, Remarks on the 50th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery Marches (2015) 8. Civil Rights: Gender and Sexual Orientation Abigail Adams, Letter to John Adams (1776) John Adams, Let