the new deal historian had their work cut out for them. he proceeded over one of the largest expansion in economic growth in american history. and he had a lot to say. he gave over 500 press conferences. during the presidency. he ran for office nineteen times and won eighteen times working the way up from city councilman to president of the united states. truly a small arm republic and statesman. the last -- he was the last president to write his own speeches and pen the three collections. he published a thoughtful auto biography after the presidency and wrote a successful internationally syndicated post presidential column. my book is intended to report what he had to say and what he did say in the hope we might restore his views about limited government, american independence, and constitutionalism.

his thinking on immigration, civil rights, foreign policy, government union, and especially liberal education warrant considerable attention by politicians today. this is, i believe, was he was a religious man. he didn't think a republic was possible without moral and religious education. and he believed that holy command you should know the truth and set you free. ought to be the guiding principle in all of our educational system as well as our republic. america, he argued, was founded by religious man. it's finest schools succeeded because they shape souls as well as opinions. and as we know, great presidents are products are of the education. he knew well the value of education because the political thought was shaped. ..

>> the ambassador to mexico and secretary of commerce and attorney-general and supreme court justice don't

never philosophically and perhaps physically far from his professors flexors -- lectures he never forgot them. he believes that would refresh the sole to bring just reward from the here and now. we looked upon gorman as a man who walked with god and his course was a demonstration of the existence of a personal god and that of the people that know him of the divide eminence and complete dependence of all the universe on him as the creator and father of whom we live. his reaction in the universe is a manifestation of his presence. man is revealed as his son. browser a common fatherhood be embraced the common brotherhood. the conclusions that follow were logical and inescapable.

it set man often a separate kingdom from all other creatures in the universe and makes them a true son of god. this is a warrant for man's freedom with a demonstration of his quality it does not assume all are equal in degree but in kind. without precept rest a foundation for democracy that cannot be shaken. this is a theme coolidge would return to over and over again draw his presidency in career before our purposes garmin taught as save religious base for a republican governor reasoning as we have a common father could -- father in god the father only a republican government is possible that man should live together in community as christ did as servants, not masters. politics does not mean survival of the fit is the sacrifice of the fittest and been giving up their seats on the titanic for the women and children might with as

coolidge noted. the central teachings of the declaration of independence that all men are created equal need to be applied to the issues of his day as well as to our own. coolidge replied garmin idea time and again to issues of civil rights to immigration and how we would face those to the public sector unions where all are created equal and to form policy when he rejected the pretension to rules of free men and women of europe and the first fight with the bolsheviks who heat refuse to recognize as the rightful rulers of russia. one of his more controversial tax the act of 1924 that have in their origin his thinking on the declaration. coolidge knew he would have to politically defeat the

klan, eugenicist, of communist and anarchists. bombing and agitation is eerily similar. coolidge did this understanding and has a spiritual nature touch that in response to the poll. his belief in divine intervention use highly religious language and it was a miracle conspiring reverence to bring programs of every nation to america's shores. considering independence all the hollow ground looking at the liberty bell as a sacred relic. they represent a spiritual event and america has become a wholly-owned.

as they read the speech of the declaration signing but my favorite college speech is the one he delivered july 4th, 1916, at the home of daniel webster. some language may sound neocon he would have agreed with john quincy adams that while americans are friends of liberty every where there to step -- custodians of their own but they could have been other regimes. and he would. so with that style reid s short selection from that speech and the events of history may have added the declaration but have subtracted nothing wisdom experience with time and criticism had shaken it but however worthy of the reverence and admiration it is only one into the of the

great for the movement of the human race were the american revolution itself was only zero larger incident not so much a struggle of bad government and for self-government in foreword himself the persistence three-time marching on to paris to london -- to london to moscow. to respect the declaration to mark the new forces in new ideals in the human affairs representing the realization of the true glory and worth of man and encouraged by that noble document man would bring fast changes of all history since its day. man's progress through time much consideration of natural rights but they are not sufficient to live by.

with the preservation of natural rights understands duty with the body of politics. more important still they did not stop there. for a man to stand out in the universe the government is instituted to ensure lifes' liberty and the pursuit of happiness and did not shrink from the logical conclusion of the doctrine. to understand the politics of the survival of the fittest. this runs deep in his writings. his first ever speech all mention it. he continued to return to the declaration because of a product of religion and education. as he rode aha to an

episcopalians of a schoolteacher, the foundation of society and government rest of the teachings of the bible that it would be difficult to support them if these would cease to be universal in our country. that would call for a religious revival in his day perhaps even of our own. religious teachings concerned about how they are should be universal for america's republic to endure. he was not sectarian. some of his finest beaches have been given to jewish and catholic groups that would not agree with the protestant orientation but he did think religion was important as an equal citizen. we can deduce man's natural qualities and revelation to go about the project to institute a government where man serve one another. on this point* he quoted the

theologians of the founding reticulate the riding of democracy is christ government. it was reprinted 1772 and according to coolidge was nothing less than the textbook of liberty for our revolutionary father's. the founders included the view that sanction of law of rests on the sanctions authority of the almighty -- almighty. i argue that it is the work that prevented his mind from progressing to the convention of the national education of scholars is used in national education association is the cornerstone of self-government. to keep it inoculated from dictatorship because christ spends no time in the separation of caesar but to

god that witches is to keep america, american. after all religions have small ties to our civil life in history and need to be cultivated. our government rests upon religion he told the boy scouts of america is a source from which we have a truce in justice for equality and liberty and the rights of mankind. the one group he did not believe that we could be serious citizens because in the fiesta not recognize something higher than themselves. even among some of people religion's influence has been every where is a force for elimination and events matt he gives a thoughtful speech at howard university noting that progress of blacks from slavery from backwardness as he puts it in africa to been full and

equal citizens in the united states and it is possible to have this progress in america and africa and elsewhere throughout the world which is something to consider. religion breaks down all barriers of race and replaces was concerned new arrivals are americanized if they keep up devotion to religion it really becomes dangerous when people lose faith he feared as the country grew less religious our civilization might be lost three cannot depend on government to do the work of religion because there is no way to substitute the authority of law for the virtue of man. to get a government to save souls rather than protect rights just in to save themselves with the two-tier regime. this is why college broke with the progressives to

help the progress in modern science inevitably meant the overall quality of life. this undergirded the believe that man that coolidge reject did out of hand at a catholic college holy cross in massachusetts. we have "no right to expect something substantially different from human experience in the past with the constitution of the universe does not change and it is a constant. the study of the classics that speak to man's human nature teach important lessons to mankind. men come to the study of the classics because they realize the only road to freedom leads to a knowledge of truce. something he will appreciate.

this love of knowledge is something that they should consider taking on for themselves into images right that every political party needs to be progressive rather than reactive but how do we find progress? reading coolidge could give people a good place to start. his confidence and progress pays political dividends he got that from blacks and jews and immigrants. he went anywhere to evangelize in with the same declaration inspired message politicians should avoid expedient see ballistic to principles. perhaps they should read the coolidge speech with a declaration of independence. it is asserted the world has made a great deal of progress we had new thoughts and new experiences that

they've is a great advance of the people of that day and we may therefore very well discard their conclusions for something more modern that cannot be applied to the great charter of all men are created equal that is fine of they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final the government gets them just powers that is final joe dancer progress can be made beyond these propositions. if art and new ones to deny their truth the only direction is not for word but back when there was no equality new rule of the people those who wish to proceed in that direction cannot lay claim to progress. they are reactionary their ideas are now more modern but more ancient of the revolutionary father's. without i will take questions. [applause]

binders than there are a lot of questions about calendula you thank you may know could be wrong and i encourage you to ask anything and i will try my best answer. >> how well supported was coolidge by his own political party? he came in as a vice president under assassination and conditions. did he have full support? >> in fact, harding was not assassinated he died. but to give you a sense, coolidge was very popular in massachusetts but not necessarily popular with the bigwigs of the convention in 1920 when the

harding coolidge to conform to coolidge was seen something as a dark horse not popular from the people of the smoke-filled rooms but when he rejected the idea that police officers could have a loyalty to a union over as public servants and that response calling in the national guard restoring order was very popular in the country as a whole. during his presidency he was very popular among different groups and there were coolidge democrats back in boston who crossed lines with the irish-american leaders told them to do part of that was coolidge went

door-to-door to speak as fellow citizens with the clause i new england politics but they did not do a good job of doing. of so coolidge those some of his success to knocking on doors to doing retail politics but was popular among the faithful rank-and-file republicans but was often distrusted the senate leaders in the republican party. it is interesting to note i go into the relationship of him and his successor herbert hoover. i am sure we will get a question but he criticized herbert hoover on

free-market grounds and said for six years that man has given me unsolicited device as commerce secretary all of it was bad and referred to him as he is wonder boy and writing his column he criticizes a socialistic notion of government he does not even have to wait until the administration of fdr. is interesting to note that coolidge very much understood republican in politics because he had to ann started as a city councilman not wanting to of corruption not the sort of thing you would expect if machine politicians in our day.

>> my question relates to the budget cutting policies. of course, he is well known to use the veto to get rid of all pork barrel spending and many of the book at him as an example where republic politicians could go to david many say the circumstances are entirely different now than they were in the 1920's. is it possible to have a president that is a ruthless budget cutters like coolidge was today? >> this is where i part company with amity chalets that has written a good book on school-age as well. i believe the budget cutting policies were the fruits of more serious thinking about government. i believe he was in favor of limited government rather a libertarian smaller government. it helps to an nanjing in

1920 went to the jets than most of the cuts that took place were in things of defense spending. i don't know if that is something you want to do today but that said there is some truth to use the veto pen to have responsibility over government to make sure it doesn't grow too much because if government grows too much force day limited it takes about their roles and coolidge understood self government means some support so social security and medicare, some of these programs that make people dependent on government are things he opposed in his own day. they run out the same thing but like a to farmers against giving flood relief

he thought local governments did it best and that is something conservative politicians ought to consider during coup lich date is a local government very well and we need to consider whether the policies or principles to turn into policies to be effective at the local government level. for the bound of what is permissible is larger than what is permissible at the federal level and that is something to be mindful and considerate of. >> i wonder if you can clear up a point* that was not clear in your presentation about the connection between religion, not religious freedom on the one hand and

a declaration of independence on the other? i thought we were saying was natural rights don't seem to be sufficient for coolidge so that reid -- appeals to religion so is that outsider external to the declarations of that is insufficient? >> he would that go that far. he speaks many times he discusses the declaration as enlightenment thinking and the item working in tandem the declaration of independence is a spiritual document. is it sectarian that is a larger question. does it get to natural rights, can a nine

judaeo-christian we a loyal and faithful service and? to mention not take up that issue can we be republican citizens? he did not quite address that point*. he does not see a division that perhaps we think of today with religion and the teaching of revelation and the declaration but he sees them as joined at the hip i don't know that is helpful? >> you spoke earlier about his views in education with citizenship and the need for those that come to emigrate to the u.s. in light of the

bill at on negative and congress now could do touch on what type of immigration the u.s. should pursue? >> one of the more controversial tax is the immigration act of 1924 that set quotas on the numbers of immigrants to come to the united states. i defend this very unpopular bill in the book on the grounds what coolidge understood and of the day that there are certain types of people who can come to america and assimilate and some cannot. he believes that perhaps some of the more bolshevist inspired one could not become full citizens and that question i think is something that we as conservatives need to think about. to put another way when coolidge speaks of norwegian

americans becoming full and equal citizens that is said different sort of been a grand day and someone from chechnya. that is something we need to address and think seriously about so too late for policy was linked but not in racial terms whether those around him from the secretary of labor but coolidge rejected that eugenics' thinking and that number of positive things about japanese-americans they go in detail in the book, he thought certain nations could be made american and some could not handle lot of the policies around immigration, while some

groups could assimilate, others could not so at the same time he does that, he also makes native americans and citizens enjoins their tribe to fuse those in choose a whole at the same time they are restricting immigration he also calls for a bill that outlaws flinching because he argues states' rights to not give you the right to do wrong. it is a more complicated pitcher. know what he would think of the current debate today. i can tell you i think we need to have more emphasis on how to make people americans rather than an guest workers or voters and living which we had in the amnesty bill that i don't think is currently

talked-about or how to assimilate or make them part of america. i think to lynch from the record would have agreed with that >> was clinched the constitution a living document? >> no. [laughter] they do a very good job of explaining the constitution is the form that gives life to the declaration but coolidge did not think the declaration was the only document of the importance. he would have listed the bible or number of things that we would think of as classically educated. a number of documents that we think of as important but

absolutely not. no way you could see to limit to the united constitution this is the greatest document given to the united states. he would feel you should not tinker with that. >> i would like if you could comment of coolidge view how politicians should conduct themselves with character with which they should conduct themselves and as a preamble i will give you a couple of quotes that i have for an introduction to a booktv published of ridings of coolidge. one was from cal thomas that said'' matt politics in the end is not about, but principal, not charisma but

character and richard norton smith said to most americans coolidge was more than a character, he was character but to most voters he was a leader of freer integrity. could to make comments? >> it is important to stress there is a tragic view of human nature he comes from a remote part of vermont not quite corbett not wealthy everyone is equal and he did not think of himself as a great man he said after his presidency he wanted to return to life at northampton he also understood the words of the president have tremendous way and should not be squandered if you run your

mouth of the time as president that will cause problems for you. he had a sense of his own limitations but he and stood that life does not always what we wanted it to be. his mother died and his sister when he was growing up and as president his son died while he was in the office and got the blood blister there is don't notion of right to health care what we expect and demand of government today was not possible. it is important to consider with coolidge as a man he had limitations may be limited government needs people who understand they put their pants on one day get a time in don't behave like that and to contrast with president obama, the contrast is night and day

that obama does think of himself as a great man but coolidge rarely took vacations or if he did he would work. that is something fact we need to go back to but if you don't teach people the virtues of tolerance and frugality will produce people who are narcissistic politicians who can get everything they can out of the system and contemporary politics bears that out. >> as i enter stand it calvin coolidge is the first president after abraham lincoln, the first republican president or of either party to emphasize the declaration of independence in all men are created equal. we have not had very many since his term except perhaps reagan who had that

emphasis and we had seven or eight republican presidents between lincoln to based his policy on the proposition all manner created equal. what happened and continues to have happened? >> part of this is the education problem because he was the last classically educated president and it is important to understand we spend all this time, there are mentions of him at amherst redeems "the federalist papers" reading about hamilton and lincoln. coolidge in many respects was abraham lincoln with a college degree and it is important to understand as coolidge sought it and as i

see it politics runs from the american founding to abraham lincoln to coolidge day and of course, he was reagan's favorite president an avid and about to publish an essay with reagan's understanding of coolidge so conservatives always wonder how do we get back to reagan? to that glorious time? we could go back to look at coolidge because we know he influenced reagan's thinking as eager appeal listen to coolidge on the radio he was a very shy man who relied on radio to get his message out. that is something we need to consider as conservatives. i don't know what happened quite happen between abraham lincoln and calvin coolidge but the king made a big deal politically of his ties to

lincoln. in the campaign in 1924 those were running the campaign were anchorage to go to every small town to get a list of every civil war veterans as the endorsement of the coolidge campaign so he thought of himself in line but part of it with reconstruction there was a desire by a number of people got to go back to fight the old site. some of that was a poor education of those that followed between lincoln and coolidge. and many were not as classically educated as coolidge. >> george bush mentioned the declaration of independence many times but i think the

problem was it was a living declaration of independence so it was used in ways that did not relate to the limited government notion that the declaration through the notion of consent makes clear. i relate that to a defense very partial of the phrase living constitution because i think where it comes from is the notion of the ever living god it is the secularization so that is a constant state the notion of the trinity of the ever living god. those used the term living constitution means you simply make things up as you go along. i think what we need to do

in the reverence for the constitution to make it clear it applies to all americans at all times. and we need to be careful that it has the turtle meaning. >> what is important with coolidge political fought as a young man he is progressive. he votes for things that would perhaps put him closer to teddy roosevelt or taft or others. in favor of women's suffrage in what is interesting is the progress explains it in

declaration terms. so to fight the war of world war i therefore if you partaken of the duties you have the right to so conservatives think of the neocon variety we don't understand the form of government matters tremendously while these principles are eternal, how one structures government government, said the devil is in the details. i don't think that president bush understood that the american experiment of self-government as was extremely complicated. i think he took too low a view and how it could be transplanted and that is something that coolidge would have understood as

well with his understanding of religion and greek and latin and education. but you raise a very important point* of the living constitution. one thing we as conservatives can do is try to understand the progress with the amendments come to think in those terms with the declaration in mind. as a college student i have been thrilled to learn more about the things and i have some high school students your. can you please explain the tax cuts as quickly as you can and also policy initiatives that most people

don't understand or don't know about them might be relevant to date. >> if you cut the size and scope of government. to pull a fast one in just cut taxes that could be true in the short run but not, you can cut taxes on the one hand and keep promising people prescription drug benefits. i don't think that works. may be politically it is effective short-term but long term it gets you into trouble. and with the tax cuts so with the treasury secretary to stimulate the economy but

he did it not for libertarian grounds but because the government did not need the money so on the one hand to which was cutting defense during the early part of the '20s and as he tries to negotiate with the japanese as secretary of state and the british to reduce naval arms live for the tail end of the presidency he recognizes we need to do something what is going on in the country or in the world. he signs the bill that creates the first aircraft carrier and battleships. we need to understand that certain periods of time decisions make sense and of the times they don't and to take the policies to apply them and i don't think that works but more of the

principles how to think about the problems before you execute them. >> what was the causal link would have been in october 1929 what are the major criticisms? >> it is fair to say i would recommend other books on this but my understanding is effectively we had a federal reserve that was not up to the task to create the inflationary economy and many of the problems that we associate with the 1920's were caused by the fed. my view is while it's true there was the inflationary economy but a number of

goods and services produced that we still use all the time today. cars, radios, coolidge was the first president to be on film. was not like the inflationary period where they bought things they could not afford that it is important to understand that henry ford, thomas edison edison, harvey firestone tight ends of the day all endorsed to like coolidge and associated himself. so if i say what caused the great depression, roosevelt road long to it to look at the recession of 1919 and 1920, it was a more severe recession that the parting / coolidge ticket dealt with which was nothing. a lot of people assumed it

was the same sort of situation and government policy of herbert hoover and roosevelt put the great of the great depression. coolidge of course, even in 1932 there was a campaign and people thought he could but then he died in 33. it is important to understand when they are both republicans with there republican party man. he would not go out publicly to cause these problems but nevertheless he does criticize the policies of the hoover administration he does criticize big government republican policies of the day and that part of the story has not been told satisfactorily.

>> calvin coolidge 1916 election. >> 2016? [laughter] i was going to say. [laughter] i met a gentleman to weeks ago returned 101 and he remembers calvin coolidge so as to talk with him but 2016 senator cruz did endorse my books i read be remiss if i did not mention him. [laughter] but there is the reason i asked him harvard credentialed as seriously educated adults think it was a place that was in his day by he is a serious thinker and i would even say if ran

paul would get over here is we and paul libber inclinations i think that would be better but not necessarily my first pick but to raise certain extent we have a serious problem because we don't take seriously higher education or shaping soles or mines. i think we enforce serious -- serious trouble many people i like hillsdale is to a large extent it teaches these things seriously the declaration of being classically educated and if we produce people who think only in terms of policy and politics of the moment of the twitter culture that we

will not be successful people need to think strategically rather than day by day politics and year by year elections. because those will follow did coolidge averred criticize with the income-tax? >> it is important to understand income-tax with terms of scope it was much lower than it is today. very few people paid in those that did, during his presidency something i have enjoyed mocking my friends that it actually got more progressive so the rich paid

more in taxes because of the booming economy but you raise an interesting point*. coolidge starts his career necessity councilman and legislator but becomes president of the state senate and realize is reproducing too many bills to give the administration at chance and to catch up and later when he becomes governor and president he has the same inclination that less shrinkage of what government can do. the and also as conservatives to think of the character of the office shapes the policies many issues today are a consequence and were not fully understood at the time

but nevertheless with fed direct election of senators people were campaigning in their own district or their own state with the in the great groups to create policies to favor them so you have to remember at a certain point* people who were directly elected so it created an interesting dynamic for foreign policy that i think school-age appreciated but he never to my knowledge spoke out against the income tax amendment he said they should be low to have limited government not because there was a principled objection.

prohibition is interesting. i regret i did not go into prohibition with the details deserved because coup which believes the states like massachusetts and others that one kid to do effectively ignore prohibition or have local laws they thought there were doing a disservice to sell-offs so we know many members of his administration was not one to do that maybe they think warren g. harding died but he saw it as an overreach by yet his job was to enforce the law. he was campaigning in irish-american areas people

knew him and his political career but he would have agreed in to be more inclined with that issue of prohibition if that helps. of. >> two years after coolidge died there was a tokyo revival on the anniversary of his book and does coolidge ever mentioned tokyo given their interest with religion? >> we know from amherst college he doesn't mention in his autobiography but we do know he read tocqueville

but i could not find any mention myself i wanted to compare his upbringing to to oakville's description of the small republican life but there is not a lot of it. not necessarily inclined to quote him that we do know actually he was very admired by french thinkers you did'' to oakville in context there is one guy who wrote a book to do an update he considered himself for the appendix for democracies of america and compares coolidge throw with washington and other figures as well and you could get it

for $0.10 on amazon it is worth checking out even for the afternoon. thank you for having me. [applause] >> what happened in did minneapolis 1999? >> i start the book with that meeting because it is so informative of the industries and attitude and strategies. the obesity epidemic was just beginning to emerge and raise concerns not only among consumer activist and nutritionists but people inside that of processed food industry. they gather together for a very rare meeting, ceos

the top manufacturers of north america who got together with the minneapolis headquarters of tills barry to talk about the emerging crisis for the industry and they got it and then other than one of their own the vice president of kraft foods and armed with 114 slides that laid at the feet of the ceos and presidents responsibility not only for the obesity crisis by rising case of diabetes and high blood pressure and heart disease and even link to the foods with several cancers and plead with them to collectively start doing something on consumers because the competition inside the food industry because if you walked into the garage restore it seems

so tranquil to do everything they can to encourage you but behind the scenes the food industry is intensely competitive but yet the only way to move the industry with a healthier profile of their products is collectively to do something. >> but it was an utter failure from his point* the ceos react defensively and say we are already offering people choices. if they really want that they can buy those alternative products. we're beholden to consumers and our own shareholders. they left the meeting going back which is a deep reliance on salt, sugar and fat. >> host: what is a processed food?

>> what people like to call coulter processed even a baby carriage can be defined as process because it doesn't grow that way in the ground but it is shaved but typically for my sense processed foods are those that take the natural ingredients too high and the refining and process in those formulas are incredibly dependent on small sugar and fat. is not a mystery you can pick up the of label to see the amount of salt, sugar comment and fat and it is extraordinary across the board how reliant the industry is on these three ingredients that adjusts for flavor but convenience for preservatives and also low-cost because they can help the industry avoid using more costly

ingredients like fresh herbs and spices

>> it is true i had to come all the way from next door to be here. i am honored to be here at the honors college. this coming to me is an experiment and you were the victims, the subjects of the experiment because as you may have gathered from the introduction, i everything except i am a word person and product in the world of words in one of the lessons to me and problems to me in putting together this book was i discovered shortly that word people don't have the art and images can on occasion be more powerful

than words and how you deal with that in words? it is a dilemma when i show you some pictures that i had to deal with. so let me start by reading you the beginning of the controversy because it tells you how i got into this project and forecast what is to come. . .