Abigael Evans should be happy. She's the four-year-old who's so sick of the election that she cried. Her tears went viral. It should all be over soon, although we'll have to wait a bit for the official tabulation of the Electoral College. Here's how it works: Each state has a number of electoral votes equal to its number of representatives plus two senators.…

It's clear that Vice President Joe Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan want the No. 2 job. But why? After all, the vice presidency hasn't always been a coveted office. At the dawn of the republic, it was a constitutional consolation prize: the vice president was the person who finished second in the Electoral College. Few of the 47 vice presidents in American history are…

It’s political convention season, as Republicans and Democrats meet to nominate their candidates. These made-for-TV productions are planned from opening gavel to closing balloon drop. But don’t expect much in the way of suspense. No one expects rogue delegates to break ranks and nominate Rick Santorum or Hillary Clinton, for example. The primary winners are merely taking…

Every Fourth of July, Americans celebrate with fireworks and barbecues and John Philip Sousa. Then we return to our regularly scheduled lives. But Independence Day should be more than just an excuse to fire up the grill and spend time with family. It’s about celebrating our nation’s first principles. It’s about remembering what it takes to be self-governing…

Every Fourth of July, Americans celebrate with fireworks and barbeques and John Philip Sousa. Then we return to our regularly scheduled lives. But Independence Day should be more than just an excuse to fire up the grill and spend time with the family. It's about celebrating our nation's First Principles. It's about remembering what it takes to be self-governing…

Despite thousands of attempts, the Constitution has been amended only 27 times in 225 years. Two of those amendments dealt with the same topic: Prohibition. The 18th Amendment started it. And 78 years ago this week, the 21st Amendment ended it. The 18th Amendment illustrates the appeal — and pitfalls — of trying to use the amendment process as an easy way to…

America's birthday is also that of Calvin Coolidge, the only president born on the Fourth of July. This is altogether fitting, as the man remembered as "Silent Cal" is one of the most eloquent voices for the great and enduring principles expressed in our Declaration of Independence. There are many half-truths about Coolidge. Despite his nickname, Coolidge was far…

If a prince can marry a commoner without losing his claim to the throne, this is no fairy tale. It’s an American love story. That’s a point that can easily be lost amid all the pomp and pageantry of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s nuptials — the most anticipated royal wedding since Charles married Diana in 1981. But William and Kate are not having a typical…

Fifty years ago today, residents of the District of Columbia became constitutionally able to vote for the president and vice president. The 23rdAmendment granted D.C. the same number of votes (three) in the Electoral College as those held by the least populous state. But voting for president isn’t enough for the 600,000 Americans living in the District of Columbia.…