William Schambra is a Hudson Senior Fellow and director of the Institute’s Bradley Center for Philanthropy and Civic Renewal. This essay is adapted from a presentation to a conference on “Progressive Challenges to the Constitution� hosted by St. Vincent College’s Center for Political and Economic Thought in April 2011.

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Bucket-wheel excavators mine rare earth materials on Ukrainian soil on February 25, 2025, in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine. (Kostiantyn Liberov via Getty Images)