The framers came up with a Constitution that allows people who distrust each other to work productively together in pursuit of their own happiness – but only if the principles of accountability, fairness, and constrained power are respected and enforced.
Constitution Day, 2019 Read More »
Decades ago, when this blogger was a boy, it used to be popular to say “I don’t agree with that, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” The phrase seemed morbidly fascinating. I understand it better now, having been many places where free speech is only for those with power,
Much is made of the beginning of the Declaration of Independence. They are stirring words: We propose some humility is required in interpreting Thomas Jefferson’s powerful words. If all men and women are created equal, then all are entitled to be included in “the People.” The idea of “the people” cannot be exclusionary. All Americans
The Last Line in the Declaration of Independence Read More »
Every government needs a civil service to get things done. Yet, hiring people into the civil service tempts politicians with some bad behaviors: could the new hires be selected for their loyalty to me or my party, could the old hires be fired for disloyalty, or could I make some money by asking new hires
Competence, Loyalty, and Patronage Read More »
In respect for their devotion to America, the Congress by a joint resolution approved on May 11, 1950 (64 Stat. 158), has requested the President to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe each Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent peace and designating a period on
US politics is becoming characterized more and more by cheating to win instead of working harder to be competitive enough to earn bipartisan votes. It is weakening our Republic.
The US Senate is considering another rule change aimed at reducing the backlog of presidential appointees awaiting Senate confirmation. The reality of political appointees has created a battlefield as partisans fight to get as many of their people into office as possible. It should not be this way. We need a government staffed by competent
Building a Trustworthy Gov’t Read More »
Democracy is all about using free and fair political competition to motivate a contest of the best ideas for solving problems. Politics played as a contest of ideas requires voters and politicians alike to speak for themselves and to listen to others for their ideas.
HOW TO ENJOY POLITICS Read More »
If you ever anticipate you might need some friends in Congress, if you ever figured you might need some allies, why would you ever show yourself to be uncooperative? One of the news stories from March 1 was that the leadership of the Democratic Party was upset that 26 members of the party had voted
Friends When You Need Them Read More »
Pundits haven’t yet fully connected the dots in front of them. Yes, presidential use of national emergency powers to spend money on things that Congress chose not to authorize is against the Article 1 of Constitution. Here is the other dot: the choice of president became more consequential as the Office of the President became more powerful. This trend explains why election campaigns have been fought ever more viciously – by politicians and citizens alike.
Connecting the Dots Read More »
In times that strain our system of checks and balances, trying for more party purity – meaning moving the two major parties even further apart – is the wrong way to go. Instead, it is time to restore big tent politics.
Time to Restore Big Tent Politics Read More »
In a democracy, people need to trust that they will be treated fairly. They need to know they can vote like anyone else, that they will be treated just as well as anyone else, regardless of how they vote, and that elected officials will feel as accountable to them as anyone else. This need to
Martin Luther King Jr. Read More »
In any republic, much depends upon the trust of political leaders and the people that election winners will not use their power to entrench themselves at the expense of the losers. In fact, entrenchment has been a feature of many governments around the world. Leaders find an excuse to act outside of normal law – by declaring a state of emergency.
Trust in our system of democracy depends in no small part upon how well it delivers for us. The services we get from the government are part of that. Few of us are happy about shut-downs, inadequate services, waste, and unsustainable debt. That prompts a question: how is the U.S. budget process supposed to work?
Introduction to the Budget Process Read More »
Change is easier when our elected representatives are working together to get something done. The good news in this context is that there is far more common ground for them to build on than you will hear from the media. You can remind them of that.
WORKING TOGETHER FOR CHANGE Read More »
Hillary Clinton said this week “You cannot be civil with a political party that wants to destroy what you stand for.” A day later, Eric Holder said that when Republicans “go low, we kick them.” Before that, back in 2016, Donald Trump complained that there were no longer consequences to protesting because “nobody wants to
Impossible to Be Civil? Read More »
Much of the press coverage about the Supreme Court confirmation process, mainstream and otherwise, has been about the alleged low quality of tactics undertaken by each political party as they maneuver to confirm or obstruct the confirmation of the nominee. Forgotten in all the outrage is the fact that none of this maneuvering would be
Lost in the Outrage Read More »
Monday, September 17, is Constitution Day. It’s a good excuse to think about a few things. First of all, what’s the big deal about having a constitution? For the founders of the nation, the constitution was a way to create a new kind of government that outlawed the limitless power to dictate people’s lives that
Mahathir Mohamad, George Wallace, and the 2018 Malaysian election. Dr. Mahathir Mohamad (center), the once-and-future Malaysian Prime Minister greets protestors at an anti-corruption rally in 2016. Photo credit: Reuters. Grayson Lewis
Can Leaders Change for the Better? Read More »
With the composition of the Supreme Court being so consequential, the Senate has an eternal obligation to confirm justices who will defend the constitution on a non-partisan basis for all people within our borders. We hope citizens will ask their senators to go beyond that and make support for free, fair, and accountable democracy one of their major confirmation criteria.
Supreme Court and Democracy Read More »
The right to free speech is an integral part of modern democracy. Abuse that right and you abuse democracy. Take that abuse too far and you won’t have free speech any more.
Free Speech: Abuse It and Lose It Read More »
Cruelty towards immigrants practice puts our democracy at risk, along with our ability to advocate for persecuted minorities overseas.
Cruelty Hurts Democracy Here, Persecuted Minorities Overseas Read More »
Our constitution gives the media a central and protected role in our democracy. Our founding fathers expected the media would help hold leaders accountable and also help educate voters (and legislators) about the pros and cons of various policy options. The media have never been especially polite in doing the job the founder fathers gave them: personal attacks on political leaders started early on. In the last many years, however, many media owners have directed their staff to set fires and then pour gasoline on them.
Setting Fires and Pouring Gasoline Read More »
The first amendment to the US Constitution guarantees the right to a free press (TV, radio, newspapers, blogs, social media). This is a right worth fighting for. The press that you don’t like today might be a very important friend at other times in your life.
Elon Musk: You Can Help Make the Press Better Read More »
Policy driven by loyalty, passion, and frustration can lead to unintended consequences.
Unintended Consequences Read More »
Democracy is not dying everywhere, or even in most places. Here is an example from Slovakia. The action started just a few months ago and the people are winning!
These People are Winning Read More »
Another illustration of the definition of insanity: recently the Washington Post published a story on how many voters and party officials in both parties seem to think more party purity would help. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. In times of strained checks and balances, trying for more party
Is it Time to Restore Big Tent Politics? Read More »
Things have changed between the time of the founding fathers and now. On the one hand, the USA now has an extremely well-armed military force, while most state and local governments have well-armed police forces, and all of those forces are under the control of elected civilian leaders. On the other hand, the USA has a far higher rate of gun deaths and mass shootings than most citizens are willing to accept. Whether and how things should be re-balanced are open questions suitable for respectful debate.
The 2nd Amendment & Changing Times Read More »
The US Constitution requires a census every 10 years. The census is mandatory because it affects the numbers of seats each state occupies in the U.S. House of Representatives. It also affects the distribution of electoral college votes because the number of electors each state gets equals the total number of its U.S. senators and
Regular Elections, Regular Census Read More »
We should all understand that very few of us would have a vote or a political voice if we collectively fail to defend constitutional and legal limits on political behavior.
Loving the Game, Defending the Rules Read More »
