Interpreting Government Practices, Part 1 | America's Unwritten Constitution with Akhil Reed Amar

Britain has a constitution too, just not a written one. Akhil Reed Amar uses that comparison to show how unwritten practice fills the gaps in America's terse text. This lecture examines how government is actually constituted where Article I and III run thin. Amar details Congress's inherent powers of oversight, subpoena, and contempt, including the founding-era case of Robert Randall, whom the House itself arrested, tried, and jailed, later upheld in Anderson v. Dunn. He also works through recess appointments to the judiciary and the puzzle of how a new House organizes itself every two years. Chapters: 00:00 What is a constitution 03:45 Congress and the separation of powers 05:22 Congress's inherent power to jail for contempt 14:02 Recess appointments to the judiciary 18:03 How the House convenes itself on Day 1 Learning objectives: After watching, you'll be able to: - Explain how unwritten practice fills gaps in the constitutional text - Describe Congress's inherent powers of oversight and contempt - Trace the congressional contempt power through Anderson v. Dunn - Analyze how the House of Representatives organizes itself at the start of each term 📚 About the Course: This course is designed to teach you some of the basic tool and techniques for constitutional interpretation. Course Takeaways: An introduction to basic techniques of constitutional interpretation. 📺 Watch the full playlist on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLABHWcbOLwlY 🎓 Enroll on Coursera for assessments and a certificate: https://www.coursera.org/learn/unwritten-constitution 🌐 Explore more learning opportunities on Yale Online: https://online.yale.edu/courses/americas-unwritten-constitution