Does Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Violate the Constitution?
Matthew Spalding /
Does Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance violate the Constitution?
Interesting question. Article I, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution says that:
No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.
An emolument is a prize arising from office or employment, usually in the form of compensation or perquisites. By everyone’s admission, President Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize for nothing already accomplished but only because he showed potential as the new President of the United States. The awardee receives a framed diploma, a nifty medal and a document confirming the prize amount – now $1.4 million.