Skip to main content

We the People


“We the People” – A Weekly Column by David Adler

David AdlerDavid Adler, Constitutional scholar and journalist, uses his column “We the People” to promote the public’s understanding of, and appreciation for, the Constitution. As a component of the South Dakota Humanities Council’s mission to encourage civil conversation, the council is providing program funding to make “We the People” available free-of-charge throughout the state via the South Dakota Newspaper Association.

“We the People,” published weekly, covers different aspects of the U.S. Constitution, such as explaining the meaning of provisions, examining Supreme Court decisions, and promoting civic education.

“The Constitution is all-Broadway, all the time, in the life of our nation,” Adler said. “Knowledge of the Constitution, to borrow from James Madison, empowers the citizenry to promote governmental transparency and accountability and to participate effectively in the great debates of our time.”

Adler discusses many topics in his deciphering study of the Constitution. Some of his recent works focus on gender equality, freedom of speech, and whether a president can be subpoenaed.

New articles are published here weekly!

  • Article #68

    December 20, 2023

    “A Law Court Will Affirm Colorado’s Ruling on Trump”

  • Article #67

    December 13, 2023

    “Mr. Smith Goes to the Supreme Court to Save the Rule of Law”

  • Article #66

    December 6, 2023

    Justice O’Connor, A Personal Reminiscence: “You Mean Sheroes?”

  • Article #65

    November 29, 2023

    “James Iredell: Not Hamilton, but Well-Qualified for Supreme Court”

  • Article #64

    November 21, 2023

    “Justice Douglas Went East, But Appointed to Court as a Westerner”

  • Article #63

    November 15, 2023

    “Justice William O. Douglas: Horatio Alger of the Supreme Court”

  • Article #62

    November 8, 2023

    Justice Van Devanter of Wyoming: A “Mainstay” on the Court

  • Article #61

    November 1, 2023

    Hughes Returns and Preserves the Court Amidst a Great Storm

  • Article #60

    October 25, 2023

    Charles Evans Hughes: Appointed Twice to the Supreme Court

  • Article #59

    October 18, 2023

      Taft: The Court Should Preserve Framers’ Governmental Structure

  • Article #58

    October 9, 2023

    Chief Justice Taft: Presidency Okay, Supreme Court Heavenly

  • Article #57

    October 4, 2023

    “Brandeis: Free Speech Critical to Preservation of Democracy”

  • Article #56

    September 27, 2023

    “Brandeis: A Great Justice and the Right to Be Let Alone”

  • Article #55

    September 19, 2023

    Justice Louis D. Brandeis: “The People’s Attorney”

  • Article #54

    September 13, 2023

    Justice Holmes Influences Business of Judging

  • Article #53

    September 6, 2023

    Justice Holmes: A Legend Before Joining the Supreme Court

  • Article #52

    August 30, 2023

    Trump Use of Scottsboro Boys Case Inapt and Reckless

  • Article #51

    August 23, 2023

    Justice Joseph Story: Most Scholarly of Justices

  • Article #50

    August 16, 2023

    Chief Justice Marshall: Unpretentious, Modest and Humble

  • Articel #49

    August 9, 2023

    “John Marshall: The Great Chief Justice Transforms the Court”

  • Article #48

    August 1, 2023

    Justice James Wilson: Leading Constitutional Architect

  • Article #47

    July 26, 2023

    John Jay: First Chief Justice, Diplomat, Founding Era Giant

  • Article #46

    July 19, 2023

    Judicial Profiles to Better Understand the Supreme Court

  • Article #45

    July 12, 2023

    Constitution Does Not Shield Presidents from Defamation Suits

  • Article #44

    July 5, 2023

    Declaration of Independence: Advancing American Ideals

  • Article #43

    June 28, 2023

    Court Rejects Radical Legislative Theory, Defends Democracy

  • Article #42

    June 21, 2023

    Trump Trial Challenges American Democracy and Rule of Law

  • Article #41

    June 13, 2023

    Trump Trial Tests the Framers’ Constitution and the Rule of Law

  • Article #40

    June 7, 2023

    Why Congress May Impose Ethics Code on Supreme Court Justices

  • Article #39

    May 31, 2023

    Reader Asks: How Do We Rein in Supreme Court Justices?

  • Article #38

    May 25, 2023

    Is Posting of Ten Commandments in Schools Constitutional?

  • Article #37

    May 17, 2023

    Presidential Power, the 14th Amendment and the Public Debt

  • Article #36

    May 9, 2023

    In Defense of Clergy, the Court Strikes Blow for Religious Liberty

  • ARTICLE #35

    May 3, 2023

    Church and State: The Court Prohibits Religious Tests for Office

  • Article #34

    April 26, 2023

    The Supreme Court’s First Big Decision on State Powers

  • Article #33

    April 19, 2023

    Justice Chase’s Impeachment and Judicial Independence

  • Article #32

    April 12, 2023

    Applying Impeachment Clause to Supreme Court Justices

  • Article #31

    April 5, 2023

    Trump’s Case: When Novel Theories Become Legal Principles

  • Article #31

    March 30, 2023

    University of Wyoming Transgender Lawsuit: Who is a Woman?

  • Article #30

    March 22, 2023

    Vulnerable to Indictment, Trump’s Cases Subject to the Law

  • Article #29

    March 15, 2023

    Court Declares a Right to Contraceptives for Unmarried Individuals

  • Article #28

    March 8, 2023

    Court Finally Ends Race Discrimination in Public Accommodations

  • Article #27

    March 1, 2023

    Supreme Court in Nebbia: “An Ominous Fork in the Road”

  • Article #26

    Feb 22, 2023

    The Supreme Court Delivers Landmark Victory for Farmers

  • Article #25

    Feb 15, 2023

    Mike Pence Seeks Refuge in the Speech or Debate Clause

  • Article #24

    Feb 8, 2023

    State of the Union Address: The Constitution and Politics

  • Article #23

    Feb 1, 2023

    The First Amendment and Free Speech on Campus

  • Article #22

    Jan 25, 2023

    The Constitution and Government Classification of Secrets

  • Article #21

    Jan 18, 2023

    Tinker v. Des Moines: Anchoring Students’ Free Speech Rights

  • Article #20

    Jan 11, 2023

    Buck v. Bell: The Supreme Court Upholds Forced Sterilization

  • Article #19

    Jan 4, 2023

    Powell v. McCormack: Confining Congress to the Constitution

  • Article #18

    Dec 27, 2022

    At Year’s End: A Duty to Protect our Constitutional Democracy

  • Article #17

    Dec 20, 2022

    Constitutionally Speaking, A Former President May Be Prosecuted

  • Article #16

    Dec 14, 2022

    Law and History Reject Unlimited Legislative Power

  • Article #15

    Dec 7, 2022

    Donald Trump’s Call to Terminate the Constitution

  • Article #14

    Nov 30, 2022

    Lynch v. Donnelly: Christmas Creche and the Constitution

  • Article #13

    Nov 22, 2022

    Near v. Minnesota: Bulwark of Press Freedom

  • Article #12

    Nov 15, 2022

    Blaisdell: Constitutional Flexibility in the Face of Crisis

  • Article #11

    Nov 8, 2022

    Before the Court: The Future of National Unity

  • Article #10

    Nov 3, 2022

    Affirmative Action in Universities: Has it a Future?

  • Article #9

    Oct 26, 2022

    Presidents and Former Presidents are Subject to Subpoenas

  • Article #8

    Oct 19, 2022

    Equal Protection: Serving Sons and Daughters

  • Article #7

    Oct 8, 2022

    Muller v. Oregon: Protection for Women in the Workplace

  • Article #6

    Oct 5, 2022

    Supreme Court in 1873: Women Unfit to Practice Law

  • Article #5

    Sept 27, 2022

    U.S. v. Smith: No Presidential Power to Initiate War

  • Article #4

    Sept 21, 2022

    A Little-Known Landmark Ruling of Historic Dimensions

  • Article #3

    Sept 11, 2022

    The Court Protects the American Labor Movement

  • Article #2

    Sept 5, 2022

    The Court, the Minimum Wage Ruling and the Holy Ghost

  • Article #1

    Aug 31, 2022

    Shelley v. Kraemer: “My Little Soul is Overjoyed”