The importance of adhering to the Constitution and the perils of ignoring its restrictions

Disney’s film release of “The Alamo” has history buffs in a tizzy over the revisionist portrayal of Davy Crockett in the final days of his life. Although Crockett’s tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives is not part of the Alamo story, the renewed interest in this American legend provides an opportunity for elected officials in Harrisburg and Washington to learn an important lesson from the past that should guide them in the future. The 1884 biography, Life of Colonel David Crockett (Philadelphia: Porter & Coates), by newspaper reporter Edward S. Ellis captured the old Bear Hunter’s “sockdolager” (a knock-down blow) of a political conversion to limited government. The story merits being retold.

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The policy brief, "Not Yours to Give," can be accessed here.