What Made America Great in the First Place?

This week, we remember the late Senator Lindsey Graham—an American patriot, a joyful legislator, and a steadfast advocate for those who defend our country. We are grateful for his lifetime of public service.

On Tuesday, Advancing American Freedom welcomed renowned author Os Guinness for a conversation on safeguarding the American republic. He posed a simple question: What made America great in the first place?

That question runs through this week’s scholarship. Through defending the proper role of the judiciary, upholding religious liberty, and honoring the legacies of intellectual titans, our scholars explore what it means to recover the principles and institutions that have long sustained the American experiment.

The Genius of the U.S. Constitution (National Review) — Timothy Harper

• In the third installment of a four-part series on constitutional order, Mr. Harper makes the case that the Constitution was designed to preserve liberty by limiting and dividing government power. Its system of checks and balances remains the strongest safeguard against the concentration of authority in any one branch or institution.

A Congressional Campaign Against Jewish Charities (Wall Street Journal) — Eugene Kontorovich and Mark Goldfeder

• Democrat lawmakers want the GAO to investigate “U.S. policy regarding the provision of assistance by U.S. charities to Israeli settlements.” If they wanted to learn about “U.S. policy,” they could’ve just phoned the State Department, but that wouldn’t have helped their real mission of intimidating charities that serve Jewish communities through investigations.

Todd Blanche Can Be the Attorney General American Children Need (Washington Examiner) — Tom Jipping

• The Justice Department has repeatedly failed to meet congressional reporting requirements aimed at combating child exploitation and supporting victims. The next attorney general has an opportunity to strengthen enforcement of these laws and make protecting children a higher priority.

The Conservative Movement Needs More Happy Warriors: Remembering Dr. Ed Feulner (Daily Wire) — Tim Chapman

Remembering the late Senator Lindsey Graham (Fox News) — AAF Founder Mike Pence

When It Comes to Judicial Selection in Kansas, Voters have the Right to Make the Selection (Washington Examiner) — Hans von Spakovsky

Religious Liberty Means More Than Mere Toleration (American Spectator) — Marc Wheat and Mitch Bahnsen

July’s Dishonorable Judicial Conduct Award Goes to Park Ranger — Sorry, We Mean Judge — Angel Kelley (PJ Media) — Tom Jipping & Hans von Spakovsky

Christopher Nolan’s ‘Odyssey’ and Homer’s Splintered Gospel (Christianity Today) — John Shelton

Best,
Tim Chapman, President
Advancing American Freedom