The Decay of Academic Standards

Throughout the thousands of hours of reading, research, and analysis that supports the 1787 Project one recurrent them revealed itself: the remarkable decay of academic standards.

For the 1787 Project, the requirements maintain strict standards. A series of rules are adhereed to rigidly, including a focus on authoritarian sources closest to the events themselves. When referring, for example, to the intent of the Three-Fifths Clause, the pertinent Notes surrounding the Constitutional Convention and debates, pertinent Federalist papers, and the speeches delivered at the state ratification assemblies by those who attended the convention are the optimal sources of information. The personal opinion of moder historians-absent clear references to sources mentioned above-are in no way a suitable substitute for the sources available at the time and by those involved.

This is not to discredit all professional input, but an enlightened contributor should provide opinions, conclusions, and arguments premised on data sourced through the methods described above.