The effort to determine precisely what the framers of the Constitution and its amendments had in mind is called the search for “original intent.” As the delegates to the Constitutional Convention left little in the way of official minutes, this search has usually involved reading the notes of the individual delegates, “The Federalist,” and the records of Congress. Those who believe in finding “original intent” usually prefer a stricter rather than a flexible interpretation of the Constitution.
Donald Ritchie, Our Constitution