The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution

By: Kevin R.C. Gutzman

Narrated by: Tom Weiner

Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Instead of the system that the U.S. Constitution intended, judges have created a system in which bureaucrats and appointed officials make most of the important policies. While the government claims to be a representative republic, somehow hot-button topics, from gay marriage to the allocation of Florida's presidential electors, always seem to be decided by unelected judges. What gives them the right to decide such issues? The judges say it's the Constitution.

Author and law professor Kevin Gutzman shows that there is very little relationship between the Constitution ratified by the 13 states more than two centuries ago and the "constitutional law" imposed upon us since then. The Constitution guarantees our rights and freedoms, but activist judges are threatening those very rights because of the Supreme Court's willingness to substitute its own opinions for the perfectly constitutional laws enacted by "we, the people" through our elected representatives.

©2007 Kevin R.C. Gutzman, J.D., Ph.D (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

great book!

provides an alternative look into how the constitution was created, what it was intended to do, and how we interpret it's meaning today. highly recommend it!

We have a constitution?

This book make you think, so liberals and progressives will struggle. We either stand for constitutional government as the founders intended or we devolve into a statist anarchy.

Great read - Every American should read

This is a critical read for those that care about America and the future of our country!

So interesting how unconstitutional actions have become acceptable.

I’m amazed at the historical detail and especially the context for so many unconstitutional actions that are accepted today. States rights are non existent compared to the founding of this nation.

Great Info

Would you try another book from Kevin R.C. Gutzman and/or Tom Weiner?

This book has great info, but hard to follow on audio. The sound quality is excellent and so is the content.

A great listen

There is a lot of good information in this book that I feel many should read (especially in this political climate we live in.

The Supremes never STOP in the name of love

Audio: Excellent. Clear, well-enunciated, easy to understand. The narrator does read fairly quickly. I didn't do much rewinding but due to the interesting subject matter and innumerable cases mentioned I will be listening to this book many times.

Content: EDUCATIONAL. Was there ever a time "The Supremes" didn't legislate from the bench? Did they EVER adhere to the Constitution other than its' legend as perceived "in their own minds"? Sigh. "What hath God wraught?" It's a wonder we retain ANY inalienable rights anymore, but that was the DOI, wasn't it? The subject matter is presented in a manner that holds ones' interest. Since it is a P.I.G. book there is a moderate amount of sarcasm, but only as appropriate. I highly recommend this book for those with a personal interest in either America history or their own future in America.

Interesting

There were many things that have been forgotten about the Constitution, and this book really helps to bring those facts to life.

This is vital for everyone in the Nation to read.

The story telling is concise and compelling. It is inspiring to read more and provides a reading list as the text goes.

Revisionist POV - Good!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I think that sometimes history books are hard to stay in when physically reading - sometimes. This would offer someone else to do half the work.

What other book might you compare The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution to and why?

Others in the PIG series especially the History volume by Tom Woods

What does Tom Weiner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Staying in the subject. However, Weiner sometimes mispronounces some clearly popular names of people that made my teeth ich.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The showing of certain Supreme Court justices that established they were de facto constitutional amendment conventions.

Any additional comments?

Gutzman is a great scholar and knows his early US history and Constitution history. This works is a good start for those who wish to look at those areas of history from a revisionist POV. What other reviewers seem to try and claim is that these are just Republican hopes and talking points. It would be important to understand that Gutzman is not a Republican and his arguments from history should be divorced from progressive wishes (those who want a Constitution that evolves with the times, argues that Jesus would be a progressive, that good and services are rights). Gutzman would most likely argue that if progressives want their philosophy carried out, the Constitution as it was originally intended would allow that as long as you follow the prescribed and proper means of change.

There are three main areas the book follows. One is the time leading up to the Revolutionary War and the political make up that would bring about the Constitution. The second is what the Constitution was done and what the federal government has done to bastardize what it means and how it's applied. Finally, how the Supreme Court and federal courts are viewed as infallible because they are supreme.

Gutzman does a decent job in compacting so much information into the book. However, this book seems structured differently than others in the PIG series. The flow seems to be a primer into revisionist Constitutional history but oddly broken up only somewhat in the PIG style. It sometimes makes for a jarring read and may not be as well liked as others in the series. Overall, the book has a lot of good discussion points that would be an interesting topic to see lectured on or debated. Final Grade - B+