We, The People - Andrew Guilford

Becoming America: The Constitutional Convention of 1787

The Preamble of the Constitution contains its most revolutionary statement, beginning with the remarkable statement that the new government would be based on the authority of “We the People.” In this episode of “Becoming America,” Dr. Jo Ellen Chatham, Judge Jim Gray, and Bijan Kian interview Judge Andrew Guilford. Retired after serving for nearly 14 years as a United States Federal District Court Judge, Judge Guilford is one of only two district judges in his region to have been invited to sit on the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals - the Ninth Circuit. In this episode, he addresses the purpose and history of the Preamble and whether it has legal authority. He also addresses a critical modification of the Preamble approved during the Constitutional Convention and the meaning of the concept of American exceptionalism. Finally, just who are "the people" in the Preamble and how do we transmit our constitutional values to the next generation? Judge Guilford answers these questions, so don't miss out and join us in this great conversation!