Have you ever wondered how to make sense of the text of legislation and laws but you didn't know where to begin, or you felt the task too intimidating or daunting? Then this episode is for you! It's a crash course to introduce you to how legislation is interpreted at the federal and state levels so that is more accessible and understandable.

Understanding how laws are interpreted is incredibly important for civic knowledge and the ability of citizens to hold government and political commentators accountable. Today's episode shows how the debates about interpretation have evolved from the very beginnings of US Constitutional debates to the tools used to interpret federal and state statutes - including information pulled from my own webinar I give to civics and public affairs organizations on how to understand legislation for themselves and their clients.

(0:00) Introduction to Interpreting Laws and Legislation

(1:56) Origins of Legal Interpretations: Enumerated vs. Implied Powers in the US Constitution

(6:46) Constitutional Interpretation: Originalism vs. Living Constitutionalism

(9:16) Arguments Made For/Against Originalism

(12:35) Arguments Made For/Against Living Constitutionalism

(17:11) Basics of How to Read Statutes: Purposivism vs. Textualism

(21:35) The Five Main Tools of Legislative Interpretation

(25:52) Legal Interpretative Tool #1: Ordinary Meaning

(32:59) Legal Interpretative Tool #2: Statutory Context

(36:32) Legal Interpretative Tool #3: Canons of Construction

(40:10) Legal Interpretative Tool #4: History of the Legislation

(42:26) Legal Interpretative Tool #5: Statutory Implementation

(45:29) Closing Thoughts: Why it is Important to Know How to Read Legislation

(55:15) Closing and My Links