Location: The Heritage Foundation's Allison Auditorium

Although the early 20th Century witnessed a precipitous decline in constitutional rhetoric, candidates on both sides of the aisle have appealed to our founding document more frequently since the 1960s.  But when the two parties appeal rhetorically to the Constitution during campaigns, what kinds of arguments do they use its authority to support?  How have the two parties historically used the Constitution to support their opposing visions of government?  How have the candidates in the current Presidential campaign used constitutional arguments?  And what does all of this mean for the future of our Constitution and constitutional government?  Join us as Andrew Busch, author of The Constitution on the Campaign Trail, discusses these questions.

Andrew E. Busch is Professor of Government and Associate Dean of the Faculty at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California.  He is the author or co-author of ten books on American politics and government, including most recently The Constitution on the Campaign Trail: The Surprising Political Career of America's Founding Document; Reagan's Victory: The Election of 1980 and the Rise of the Right; and Red over Blue: The 2004 Elections and American Politics.  Before coming to Claremont McKenna College in 2004, he taught at the University of Denver for twelve years.  Professor Busch received his B.A. from the University of Colorado and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Virginia.