<div dir="ltr"><div><div style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;font-size:small" class="gmail_default"><font size="2"><span><div><span><span><b>The Institute for Ethics in Public Life would like to
invite you to join us for "Conversations on the Constitution: Federalism", on Wednesday, February 11, at 3:30pm in person or on Zoom.</b></span></span></div></span></font><div><div style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;font-size:small" class="gmail_default"><div><div style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;font-size:small" class="gmail_default">
</div><br></div><div><div style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;font-size:small;margin-left:40px" class="gmail_default">
<span><span><span><span>The Constitution is the founding
document of US democracy, yet most of us have probably not read it or
thought much about what it says or why. Understanding how our government
was supposed to function, and why the founders set it up that way is
particularly important in the current era due to the battles over
government powers playing out in the courts and society.</span></span></span> <br><b> </b><br><span><span>For
the fourth "conversation on the Constitution" hosted at the Institute
this year we will be discussing federalism. Federalism is embedded in
the Constitution in various places including <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-1/&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1770820498632733&usg=AOvVaw2UliGTHgBFB9FxBYURNgnq" target="_blank">Article I</a> section
4, where states are given primary responsibility for elections, Article
1 sections 8 through 10, where the basic division of power between
Congress and the States is set out, the Supremacy Clause (<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-6/&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1770820498632733&usg=AOvVaw3QjUqnGsru9Uq_II0X5WXj" target="_blank">Article VI</a>,
clause 2) which specifies that the Constitution, treaties, and federal
law take precedence over conflicting state laws, and the <a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-10/" id="gmail-ow200">Tenth Amendment</a>
to the Constitution, which states that if the Constitution does not
grant the US government a power it is reserved for the people and the
States. We will also discuss how the founders thought about the
federalism, drawing upon contemporary documents such as <i>Federalist</i> <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://guides.loc.gov/federalist-papers/text-41-50%23s-lg-box-wrapper-25493408&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1770820498632733&usg=AOvVaw0LF3wwmVmNHe5nk6XZC-10" target="_blank">44</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://guides.loc.gov/federalist-papers/text-41-50%23s-lg-box-wrapper-25493409&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1770820498632733&usg=AOvVaw27pT0tp4H7OJEIddTWY3pJ" target="_blank">45</a>, and <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://guides.loc.gov/federalist-papers/text-41-50%23s-lg-box-wrapper-25493411&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1770820498632733&usg=AOvVaw0pt9en9Z1gFxUVd1JaZnYw" target="_blank">46</a></span></span>. In addition, we'll discuss how American federalism has evolved over time.<br><b> </b><br><span><span>Please
join us in person in the Thomas Moran Seminar Room of the Institute for
Ethics in Public Life (Hawkins 233) or on Zoom (see below). </span></span><br><span><span> </span></span><br>Daniel Lake is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.<br><br>Topic: Conversations on the Constitution IV: Federalism<br>Time: Feb 11, 2026 03:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)<br>Join Zoom Meeting<br><a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://plattsburgh.zoom.us/j/84751632931&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1770820498632733&usg=AOvVaw31ZJErFFfPwn4l5qTxrefK" target="_blank" id="gmail-ow191">https://plattsburgh.zoom.us/j/84751632931</a><br><br>Meeting ID: 847 5163 2931</span></div></div>
</div><br clear="all"></div>
</div><br clear="all"></div><br><span class="gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><b><font size="2">Daniel Lake</font></b></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2">(pronouns: he/him/his)<br></font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2">Professor of Political Science</font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2">Director, Institute for Ethics in Public Life<br></font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2">Hawkins 149A</font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2"><a href="https://maps.google.com/?q=101+Broad+Street+Plattsburgh,+NY+12901&entry=gmail&source=g" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">101 Broad Street</a></font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2"><a href="https://maps.google.com/?q=101+Broad+Street+Plattsburgh,+NY+12901&entry=gmail&source=g" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">Plattsburgh, NY 12901</a></font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><font size="2">(o) <a href="tel:(518)%5645833" value="+15185642217" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">518-564-5833</a></font></p><p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin:0px;line-height:normal;font-family:Arial"><b><font size="2"><a href="http://plattsburgh.edu/" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank">plattsburgh.edu</a></font></b><br></p></div><div dir="ltr"><img src="https://web.plattsburgh.edu/files/914/images/SUNY-Plattsburgh-Email-Logo-2018.jpg"><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>