Understanding Constitutional checks and balances stands as perhaps the shiniest example of the failure of the educational system in the 20th century. If one looks up “checks and balances” on […]
Author: deha
Dennis Haugh is a jack of all trades.
First, growing up on a dairy farm in Ohio, he learned how to fix things that broke and create solutions for problems that would arise in the real world.
Second, as an abstract mathematician, he was inculcated into the world of pure theory. As a result, he was captivated by the mathematical rigor of John Locke's arguments in Two Treatises of Government.
Third, as a computer scientist, he was struck by the similarities between the process of framing the Constitution (from the Convention notes) and the methodology of computer software engineering. The Constitution must be as abstract as the architecture of a computer system.
Believing that a system can only be understood by starting at the beginning, He starts with the ancient Greek philosophers. In particular, Aristotle provides the foundation for western society and government. Just as a complete understanding of a computer system requires understanding its foundation and evolution, our current system of government is best understood by following its historic evolution.
Throughout his long career in the computer industry, Dennis has had to not only develop new systems, but also analyze and improve upon existing systems. Some of these systems include platforms built by Intel, Cray Research, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), Honeywell, IBM, EMC, and Lockheed Martin. Two of the more publicized systems are still functioning - the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and the JUNO satellite orbiting Jupiter. He now uses those skills to analyze the US system of government.
Dennis graduated from the US Air Force Academy in 1973 with a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics and holds a Master's Degree in Computer Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He holds multiple US and international patents.
Commissioned as an Air Force officer, he has always taken his oath to defend the Constitution seriously.
McCulloch v. Maryland and Federalism
The following analysis only considers the text of the Supreme Court opinion. It does not consider the arguments brought before the Court that affected the issues presented. The talent of […]
Against All Enemies
Every military officer takes the uniformed services oath of office. The oath contains the following, “I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign […]
What a Republic is
Most of us have been taught that a republic is defined by representative government and that democracy is direct rule by the people. Unfortunately, this distinction is off the mark. […]
The nuts and bolts of Article V
Article V is perhaps the least understood part of the US Constitution. In general, there is an understanding that it is the amendment process, but how it functions is surrounded […]
Responses to assertions on the John Birch Society website
The John Birch Society is vehemently opposed to an Article V convention of states. The following paper analyses the assertions on their website. Article VI, not Article V The JBS […]
How Article V Came to Be
Article V of the US Constitution defines the amendment process. The process itself has two stages: 1) proposal and 2) ratification. There are two variants of each stage.[1] The first […]
Commander In Chief
The nation rightfully gets concerned whenever the President orders military force to be used anywhere in the world. Congress almost always waves the War Powers Resolution to challenge the President’s […]
A republic is not a democracy
What is the difference between a democracy and a republic? Americans today have gotten sloppy by referring to them as synonyms. They are definitely not, and the distinction is very […]
Representative or Leader?
Another insidious use of terms concerns our relationship with elected officials. In a representative republic, the representatives work for the sovereign. That sovereign is the people. As such, it is […]
Republic and Democracy are not synonyms
Perhaps the most damaging abuse of the English language over the last century has been the erasure of the difference between a republic and a democracy. Both are built upon […]
Liberty and Freedom
In Woodrow Wilson and the Roots of Modern Liberalism, Ronald J. Pestritto makes an observation that is perhaps the most important abuse of the English language that Americans should know. In […]
Step-by-step Evolution of Article V in Convention
Step-by-step Convention Notes on Article V The Convention convened its first quorum on Friday, 25 May 1787. On Tuesday, 29 May 1787, Edmund Randolph presented the Virginia Plan. Resolution 13 […]
How Federal is the US Constitutional System?
The key to stability in the design of the US Constitution is the application of Newton’s third law of physics to the political process, where self-interested parties check the power […]
