Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad was a tax case between the railroads and the state of California. Two railroad companies were refusing to pay taxes under new rules set forth during the California Constitutional Convention of 1879. In order to recoup lost revenue Santa Clara county brought the case
Throughout the country’s history the debate regarding the elasticity of the constitution has never been settled. Unfortunately, the arguments typically revolve more around patriotic grandstanding and less about substance. Politicians and even judges are all too eager to wrap themselves up in the idea of being a “strict constitutionalist” or an
The concern over guns is one of the most controversial political issues in the United States. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention almost 100 people are killed and 230 injured by means of a firearm in the U.S. every day. But despite these figures, within
As the Constitutional Convention deliberated in Independence Hall in 1787, a significant debate emerged that pitted the smaller states against the larger ones. The issue of representation within a proposed dual system, known as the House of Representatives and the Senate, had created a fiery dilemma that was threatening to break
