The newly Republican House is threatening to refuse to raise the debt ceiling, raising the spectre of a US default.  Given the 14th amendment, section 4’s prohibition on “questioning” the debt of the United States, all sorts of constitutional questions and strategies have been raised.  We are fortunate to welcome Professor Jack Balkin, who knows more about this provision and this topic than anyone, to explain the origin of this constitutional provision, and why its history is directly relevant to today’s developments.  Meanwhile, what about the trillion-dollar coin and other mind-blowing approaches to the problem? We’ve got the lowdown on those, too.