Dr. Ben Carson has a new book out that should be required reading not only for U.S. citizens but also for many of the presidential candidates. In his book, A More Perfect Union, he provides a detailed introduction and overview of the U.S. Constitution. He was on my radio program recently to talk about the book and some of the things he is hearing as he travels the country on his presidential campaign.

Dr. Carson says that understanding government and the Constitution “isn’t brain surgery.” He argues that the Constitution was written so the average American could understand it and see if it was properly applied. The founders wanted a republic that, in Lincoln’s words, was a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” That is why the subtitle of Dr. Carson’s book is “What we the people can do to reclaim our constitutional liberties.”

He acknowledges that the “founders gave Congress a great deal of latitude when it came to taxes. Unfortunately, this vagueness has been abused by our government in a way that would horrify the founders.” He also believes that issues ranging from Obamacare to same sex marriage are outside of the federal government’s purview. “The framers of our Constitution intended that these kinds of issues be handled by the states. Judges should not be able to overturn the decisions made by the citizens of each state.”

We talked about the Second Amendment. He says that this right cannot be violated, and “any attempt to erode it should be vigorously resisted. Those who insist that tyranny could never come to America should read about how it came to so many other places that also felt safe.”

Article 2 in the Constitution states that the president “shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” Dr. Carson says: “it does not say that the laws with which he agrees be faithfully executed. The executive branch cannot pick and choose.”

Dr. Carson provides us with a short course in Constitution 101. It is a book we all need to read.