America's First Officer, Part 2 | America's Written Constitution with Akhil Reed Amar

Akhil Reed Amar delivers a compelling and scholarly lecture on Article II of the U.S. Constitution. His arguments are well-supported by historical evidence and primary sources, such as Washington’s draft inaugural address and campaign literature from 1796. The lecture is structured logically, moving from the qualifications for the presidency to the Electoral College and finally to a symbolic interpretation of a portrait. Amar’s interpretation of the natural-born citizen clause as anti-aristocratic rather than anti-immigrant is thought-provoking and supported by the pro-immigrant policies of the early republic. Similarly, his reading of the age-35 requirement as an anti-dynastic measure is plausible and well-illustrated with the example of William Pitt the Younger. The discussion of the Electoral College and the Three-Fifths Clause is particularly insightful, showing how the institution favored large states and slaveholding states. The lecture is rigorous and balanced, acknowledging alternative interpretations while presenting a coherent thesis. The sources cited, including Amar’s own book and Yale’s online course, are credible. The title accurately reflects the content. Overall, this is an excellent lecture that provides deep insights into the constitutional design of the presidency.

The title accurately reflects the content, which focuses on Article II of the U.S. Constitution and the presidency.

9/10

Akhil Reed Amar is a distinguished constitutional scholar at Yale Law School. The lecture is based on his book 'America's Constitution: A Biography', which is well-regarded in academic circles. The arguments are supported by historical evidence and primary sources, though some interpretations are contested.

• 00:00A presidency stronger than any governorship
• 02:19No property qualification, no religious test
• 03:53The natural-born citizen rule
• 05:24How pro-immigrant the document was
• 06:56What the clause was actually guarding against
• 07:57Why 35, and who William Pitt the Younger was
• 10:32Washington, Jefferson, and the missing heir
• 15:16The Electoral College and the Three-Fifths Clause
• 19:22Reading the Washington family portrait

• America's Written Constitution (Yale Online) — Course page for the lecture series
• America's Written Constitution (Coursera) — Online course version
• YouTube Playlist — Playlist of the lecture series

• America's Constitution: A Biography — Book by Akhil Reed Amar, basis for the lecture

• Alternative interpretations of the Electoral College — Some scholars argue the Electoral College was primarily a compromise between large and small states, not solely a pro-slavery measure.