NOTE: This is the first of several short commentaries on recent Supreme Court decisions.

The Supreme Court recently ruled that portions of Arizona’s immigration law violate federal statutes. In his dissent, Justice Thomas relied heavily on my own research.

The Independence Institute did not participate in that case. So how did it happen that I was cited? In 2010 the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law published my article on the original meaning of a constitutional provision relevant to the decision. The provision is Article I, Section 4—which the Court called the “Elections Clause,” but is more accurately entitled the “Times, Places and Manner Clause.” The Clause provides that the states may regulate the “Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives,” but that Congress may override most of these regulations.

In the article, I discuss exactly what the Founders meant by the phrase “Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections,” and how Congress’s power over its own elections should be interpreted.

The recent case involved whether Arizona’s requirement that voters show proof of citizenship when registering to vote violated federal law. The Court had to decide how widely to read a federal statute and how widely to read Congress’s authority under the Times, Places and Manner Clause.

My research into the subject was prompted by questions about campaign finance laws, not by non-citizens voting in elections—but my findings proved relevant here as well.

In his dissent, Justice Thomas:

* Cited my work in explaining the precise meaning of “Manner of holding Elections,” and

* Adopted my conclusion that in cases of doubt Congress’s authority under the Times, Places and Manner Clause should be interpreted narrowly.

Needless to say, I believe Justice Thomas’s dissent was correct.

The basic problem here is that if you read expansively Congress’s power to regulate its own elections, this could enable Congress to manipulate the rules to protect itself. During the debates over the Constitution, many of our Founders saw the potential danger. Not only opponents of the Constitution but even many of its advocates expressed serious doubts about the Times, Places and Manner Clause. The Constitution was ratified only when its staunchest proponents represented to the ratifiers that the courts would interpret the Clause narrowly—presumably because of the risks.

So, from the point of view of the Founders, the Court in this case was wrong and Justice Thomas—as usual—was right.

Rob Natelson

The 10th Amendment

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

LEARN MORE

01

Featured Articles

On the Constitution, history, the founders, and analysis of current events.

featured articles

02

Tenther Blog and News

Nullification news, quick takes, history, interviews, podcasts and much more.

tenther blog

03

State of the Nullification Movement

232 pages. History, constitutionality, and application today.

get the report

01

Path to Liberty

Our flagship podcast. Michael Boldin on the constitution, history, and strategy for liberty today

path to liberty

02

Maharrey Minute

The title says it all. Mike Maharrey with a 1 minute take on issues under a 10th Amendment lens. maharrey minute

Tenther Essentials

2-4 minute videos on key Constitutional issues - history, and application today

TENTHER ESSENTIALS

Join TAC, Support Liberty!

Nothing helps us get the job done more than the financial support of our members, from just $2/month!

JOIN TAC

01

The 10th Amendment

History, meaning, and purpose - the "Foundation of the Constitution."

10th Amendment

03

Nullification

Get an overview of the principles, background, and application in history - and today.

nullification