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The Modern History of Originalism

We the People

CHAPTER

The Best Justification for Originalism

The best justification for originalism is that if judges do not adhere to the meaning of the constitutional provision as it was understood at the time that it was ratified, they undermine the authority of the people. For me personally, what I find most persuasive is that originalism locks in an initially legitimate lawmaking scheme. It's inherently legitimate because it limits government power and contains strong protections for individual liberty.

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