From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Constitution Society is a nonprofit international^[1] educational^[2] and litigation organization presently headquartered in Austin, Texas, U.S., founded in 1994. The Society publishes online a large selection of major works on constitutional history, law and government. It helps individuals, organizations, and communities understand and comply with their written constitutions of government, and with charters and by-laws of private organizations.^[3]

Through its publications, media, meetings, and dialogue among its members, it raises awareness of constitutional violations and how those conflicts might be resolved.

Members

The Constitution Society does not have formal, dues paying membership. All persons who sincerely commit to defending their constitutions as originally understood are encouraged to consider themselves members in the Society and actively engage in its programs and events. The Society organizes local meetings in many states and countries, using various internet tools to facilitate them.

Local groups offer speakers, educational courses, seminars, and other opportunities for regional members to meet and collaborate. Local meetings give members a chance to interact with activists and experts to discuss how constitutional compliance might be achieved and maintained.

Web site

The society’s web site^[4][5] features digital library resources including the online Liberty Library of Constitutional Classics — complete, annotated, and cross-linked copies of the most of the major works written or read by the American Founders, or by persons whose writings can enable one to understand their writings. Also included are links to a range of resources such as constitution-centered blogs, educational programs and related organizations.^[6]

Publications

The Constitution Society sponsors the writing and publication of news^[7] and law review and history articles.^[8] Some examples include:

• Robert's Rules of Order, 1915 edition.^[9]
• James Madison, Notes On the Constitutional Convention of 1787.^[10]
• The Petition of Right.^[11]
• Works of Niccolò Machiavelli.^[12]
• Works of Sir Francis Bacon.^[13]
• James Harrington, The Commonwealth of Oceana.^[14]
• Selected Works of Thomas Hobbes.^[15]
• Jean Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract.^[16]
• Constitutions of several nations.^{[17] [18]}
• SSRN-Mansfieldism Reconsidered by Jon Roland.^[19]

Litigation

The Society supports the filing of interventions and amicus curiae briefs in federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court.^[20]

Conferences and events

Society representatives have appeared at national conferences, including the following:

• Federalist Society, televised on C-SPAN in November, 2008.^[21]
• A representative of the Society was the keynote speaker on the Ninth Amendment at the 2008 Constitution Day conference of the National Heritage Center for Constitutional Studies in New Hampshire.^[22]
• A representative of the Society was a featured speaker^[23] at the GML 2007 national conference of the We the People Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia.

The Society encourages local meetings using many names. This commonly takes the form of Meetup groups, especially those with the "United States Constitution" and "Constitutionalist" topics. Many of these have been brought under the Constitutional Compliance Meetup Alliance. Some Meetup groups formerly organized for the support of Ron Paul are being repurposed as "constitutional compliance" groups under the general leadership of the Society.

Disambiguation

The Constitution Society is not to be confused with the American Constitution Society or the Society for Constitutional Information.

See also

• Federalist Society
• Cato Institute
• Liberty Fund
• Institute for Justice
• Bill of Rights Institute
• Independent Institute
• Independence Institute

Notes

References

External links

• Constitution Society (CS) official website
• Wikinfo: Constitution Society
• Lawbook Exchange — Publisher of facsimile editions of classic law works