New Book: The Independent Guide to the Constitution: Original Intentions, Modern Inventions

Oakland, CA— The Constitution is one of the most studied—and most willfully misunderstood—documents in American life. It is the oldest written constitution still in use in the world, and its longevity rightly compels our admiration and examination. But now more than ever, Americans need an objective, thorough, and clearheaded analysis of what our Founders meant when they wrote it . . . and perhaps even more important, what they didn’t mean.

The Independent Guide to the Constitution: Original Intentions, Modern Inventions, by Independent Institute Research Fellow William J. Watkins, Jr. cuts through the partisan noise and helps readers reclaim the original, time-tested principles of liberty that America’s Framers worked so hard to protect.

In America today, the president can send armed forces abroad without even a nod to the legislature. The Supreme Court micromanages all manner of state policy decisions, from Christmas decorations, public health measures, and criminal penalties. And a whopping $37 trillion of national debt is ultimately the taxpayers’ responsibility to pay back.  Is this what the Founders intended? Does this sound like the “few and defined” national powers James Madison delegated to the federal government? Of course not.

This state of affairs—called “living constitutionalism” by some, “tyranny” by others—has not brought political peace. Clearly, something has to change. But how should we confront the distortions layered onto the Constitution over generations? Especially when those distortions continue to shape (and misshape) American life today?

The Independent Guide to The Constitution offers a bold, independent examination of the most important legal document in modern history. The book provides a meticulous, clause-by-clause analysis of America’s founding charter, revealing both the Framers’ original intentions and the modern interpretations that have reshaped constitutional governance—not always for the better. Clear and rigorous, William J. Watkins Jr. explores how the Constitution was designed to secure liberty and limit power—and how its meaning continues to spark debate today.

Expertly researched, fascinating, and extremely timely, this book is the authoritative road map for laymen and scholars alike to reclaim the Constitution.

For more information, contact Robert Ade, [email protected], or 510-632-1366 ext. 114.

INDEPENDENT INSTITUTE
100 Swan Way, Oakland, CA 94621-1428

The Independent Institute is a non-profit research and educational organization that promotes the power of independent thinking to boldly advance peaceful, prosperous, and free societies grounded in a commitment to human worth and dignity. For more information, visit Independent.org.