New audiobook release: An Examination into the Leading Principles of the Federal Constitution (Noah Webster)

LibriVox ^ | 2025-08-30

[ProgressingAmerica]

I noticed some time ago that LV didn't have any works by Noah Webster, creator of that dictionary.

Well, now they have one.

https://librivox.org/examination-of-the-federal-constitution-by-noah-webster/

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TOPICS: Books/Literature; Reference
KEYWORDS: audiobook; constitution; freeperbookclub; librivox; noahwebster; webster

[ProgressingAmerica]

Webster's Examination was published the very same year that the Convention was concluded, 1787.

[ProgressingAmerica]

Friendly ping

[Liz]

The U.S. Constitution is guided by fundamental principles including
<><>Popular Sovereignty (rule by the people),
<><>Limited Government (government’s power is restricted),
<><>Separation of Powers (dividing government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches),
<><>Checks and Balances (each branch can limit the others),
<><>Federalism (power divided between federal and state governments),
<><>Republicanism (a system of government where citizens elect representatives),
<><> Individual Rights (guaranteed freedoms, often in the Bill of Rights).

The principles:

Popular Sovereignty: This principle states that the government’s authority comes from the people. Citizens grant power to the government, and it is accountable to them.

Limited Government: The government’s powers are not absolute but are restricted to what is outlined in the Constitution. No one, including government officials, is above the law.
Separation of Powers:
.
Power is divided among three distinct branches of government: the Legislative Branch (Congress, which makes laws), the Executive Branch (the President, who enforces laws), and the Judicial Branch (the Courts, which interpret laws).

Checks and Balances: This system allows each branch of government to have some control or influence over the actions of the other branches, preventing any single branch from becoming too powerful.

Federalism: Power is shared and divided between the national (federal) government and the individual state governments.

Republicanism: People exercise their power by electing representatives to make and enforce laws.

Individual Rights: The Constitution, particularly the Bill of Rights, guarantees certain individual freedoms and liberties that the government cannot take away, such as the right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

[sopo]

thanks

[Loud Mime]

Wonderful!

[mjp]

Here are a few other key ones often discussed in constitutional scholarship.

These include:

Rule of Law: The idea that everyone, including government officials, is subject to the law, which overlaps with Limited Government and is implied in Article VI (oath to support the Constitution) and the Bill of Rights.

Supremacy of the Constitution: As per Article VI, federal law and the Constitution are the "supreme Law of the Land," supporting Federalism.

Judicial Review: Not explicitly stated but inferred from Article III, allowing courts to strike down unconstitutional laws, which bolsters Checks and Balances.

Protection Against Tyranny: A broader principle derived from the framers' intent, seen in the overall structure to prevent majority or minority oppression.

[rlmorel]

Thank you, PA! Downloading...:)

[Liz]

thx

[fella]

Marked for later listening.