Dec 1, 2022
We’ve spoken before of the Founders’ penchant for brevity. The Eighth Amendment takes that habit to a new level. Just 16 words long, it still manages to codify three separate clauses related to limiting fines and punishment. Just what are these three clauses? What is the history behind the concerns regarding governmental power to punish that the Founders were alleviating and limiting? Just how important is that “and” in the cruel and unusual clause? To find out, join our weekly chat featuring Sam Gedge with the Institute for Justice and our student panel as we continue our study of the Bill of Rights!