Podcast: Thomas Woods On 'Nullification'

[MedicalNeed]

Thomas E. Woods, Jr., the New York Times bestselling author, joins us on today's podcast to discuss his new book, "Nullification."

Woods defines state nullification as the belief that states can and must refuse to enforce federal laws they deem to be unconstitutional.

Though the federalist notion of "state's rights" is often perceived as mere code for defending segregation, Woods points out that an early example of nullification actually involved Wisconsin refusing to honor the Fugitive Slave Act (a law which provided for the return of slaves who escaped), which they viewed as unconstitutional.

According to Woods' website nullification has a long history,

[Thomas Jefferson's] draft of the Kentucky Resolutions of 1798 first introduced the word "nullification" into American political life, and follow-up resolutions in 1799 employed Jefferson's formulation that "nullification...is the rightful remedy" when the federal government reaches beyond its constitutional powers. In the Virginia Resolutions of 1798, James Madison said the states were "duty bound to resist" when the federal government violated the Constitution.

Woods' theory isn't merely academic, not is it just traditional conservatism. For example, Woods also believes that states like California should be able to legalize marijuana.

Woods is a senior fellow at the Ludwig von Mises Institute, and holds a bachelor's degree in history from Harvard and a master's, M.Phil., and Ph.D. from Columbia.


NewsHawk: MedicalNeed:420 MAGAZINE
Sourceoliticsdaily.com
Author: Matt Lewis
Contact: Politics News, Elections Coverage, Political Analysis and Opinion
Copyright: 2010 AOL Inc.
Website:Podcast: Thomas Woods on 'Nullification'