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Are People In Federal Territories Part Of “We The People Of The United States”?, Gary S. Lawson, Guy Seidman
Are People In Federal Territories Part Of “We The People Of The United States”?, Gary S. Lawson, Guy Seidman
Faculty Scholarship
In 1820, a unanimous Supreme Court proclaimed: “The United States is the name given to our great republic, which is composed of states and territories.” While that key point is simple, and perhaps even obvious, the constitutional implications of such a construction of “the United States” as including federal territories are potentially far reaching. In particular, the Constitution’s Preamble announces that the Constitution is authored by “We the People of the United States” and that the document is designed to “secure the Blessings of Liberty” to the author and its “Posterity.” If inhabitants of federal territory are among “We the …