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Antonin Scalia - On American Exceptionalism

AmericanRhetoric.com · talk · Watch on YouTube

Law, policing & justiceUS politics & elections

What it is

Justice Antonin Scalia's opening statement at a 2011 Senate Judiciary hearing on the role of judges. He argues that the Constitution's separation of powers is what protects liberty, and that gridlock is by design.

Why Hacker News recommends it

Recommended often as a clear explanation of why the US system is built to be slow and why gridlock protects minorities.

  • 12 people recommended it
  • 11 different months
  • 2 strong recommendations
  • first 2019, last 2025

What HN commenters said

  1. “I highly recommend watching this video [1] to understand why "progress has stalled".”

    Explains why progress stalls by design

    splintercell, 2020-06 · Strong recommendation · in “DEA authorized to conduct surveillance on protestors”

  2. “Justice Antonin Scalia's opening statement before a 2011 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing is worth watching.”

    Scalia's 2011 Senate opening statement on the Framers' intent

    emchammer, 2025-09 · Strong recommendation · in “ABC yanks Jimmy Kimmel’s show ‘indefinitely’ after threat from FCC chair”

  3. “Antonin Scalia explained it really well in one of his appearances in front of a Senate Judiciary Committee”

    Scalia on how government structure protects freedoms

    mvanga, 2019-02 · Recommendation · in “EU Countries Back Copyright Reforms Aimed at Google, Facebook”

  4. “Scalia has a good talk about this”

    Scalia on limits of constitutional guarantees

    ethn, 2020-06 · Recommendation · in “Liquid Democracy”

  5. “This really opened my eyes about what that aspect of judicial conservatism is about.”

    Opened commenter's eyes to judicial conservatism's reasoning

    supernova87a, 2020-09 · Recommendation · in “Contradictions in Roman law left incurable headaches for its judges”

  6. “But, after watching Scalia, how can you not like him?”

    Shows Scalia's wit and charm as a speaker

    sillysaurusx, 2020-09 · Recommendation · in “Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died”

  7. “in this clip from Scalia's testimony relates the overall concept well.”

    Scalia testimony explaining American exceptionalism and the constitutional system

    joey_bob, 2022-03 · Recommendation · in “Microsoft is tied to hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign bribes”

  8. “This speech is a good reference point.”

    Scalia speech on constitutional design and intentional gridlock

    mlindner, 2022-10 · Recommendation · in “The United States’ Unamendable Constitution”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: scalia, separation of powers, gridlock, constitution, senate hearing

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