Fifty-five elite while males, about 17 of them slave-holders, gathered in Philadelphia in May 1787 to address problems with the Articles of Confederation. They completed their work in September by submitting the 4,400-word Constitution that governs us today, with just 16 amendments since 1800. It's the shortest and oldest constitution among major nations and it ignored several topics for which there was no accessible compromise. This course will examine the Constitution in the context of its implementation to date. We'll also compare it with the basic laws of other nations.

Moderator: Alan Flaherty is a retired engineer and process design consultant who claims no special knowledge of the Constitution but recognizes how its interpretation has been extended to cover many issues not present for a small nation in the 1790s. He's looking forward to substantive discussion.