Posted inEditorials

A Critique of “On the Meaning of ‘Natural Born Citizen,’” Part II

by Joseph DeMaio, ©2024 (Apr. 4, 2024) — [Editor’s Note: Please see Part 1 of the author’s in-depth analysis of the captioned article, published in 2015 in the Harvard Law Review Forum by former Solicitors General Neal Katyal and Paul Clement. For additional background, see the author’s previous columns on the subject article here.] Author’s […]

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Who Can Handle the nbC Eligibility Truth?

by Joseph DeMaio, ©2024 (Jan. 14, 2024) — Introduction As interest continues to once again pick up in the presidential eligibility issue following President Trump’s post suggesting that Nikki Haley might not be a “natural born Citizen” (“nbC”), and thus ineligible, some interesting reactions and observations have surfaced.  In this offering, your humble servant will […]

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Foolish Consistency, Little Minds and Hobgoblins

by Joseph DeMaio, ©2023 (Aug. 21, 2023) — As a preface to what follows, noted American author and philosophical thinker Ralph Waldo Emerson once observed: “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.”  Stated otherwise, Emerson was contending that pursuit of consistency for the sake of […]

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Revisiting the Heritage Guide to the Constitution

by Joseph DeMaio, ©2023 (May 13, 2023) — Introduction Recently, your humble servant addressed the flawed reasoning of the “Heritage Guide to the Constitution” (“Guide”) set out in its explanatory analysis of Art. 2, § 1, Cl. 5.  This, of course, is the Constitution’s “natural born Citizen” (“nbC”) presidential Eligibility Clause, the source of increasing scrutiny […]

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The LoC Kissing Cousin to the Heritage Guide

by Joseph DeMaio, ©2023 (May 8, 2023) — Introduction In addition to the Heritage Foundation’s digital “Guide to the Constitution,” recently discussed by your humble servant here, a “kissing cousin” to that think tank’s explanation exists.  Specifically, the U.S. Library of Congress (“LoC”) maintains a similar website purporting to “explain” what the Eligibility Clause of […]