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...
Tag: government
The Last Line in the Declaration of Independence
Much is made of the beginning of the Declaration of
Independence. They are stirring words: “We hold these truths to be
self-evident, that all men are created equal, that...
Competence, Loyalty, and Patronage
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...
Cheat or Compete?
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.
Building a Trustworthy Gov’t
The US Senate is considering another rule change aimed at
reducing the backlog of presidential appointees awaiting Senate confirmation. The reality of political...
HOW TO ENJOY POLITICS
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.
Friends When You Need Them
If you ever anticipate
you might need some friends in Congress,
if you...
Connecting the Dots
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.
Time to Restore Big Tent Politics
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.
Martin Luther King Jr.
In a democracy, people need to trust...
Introduction to the Budget Process
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?
WORKING TOGETHER FOR CHANGE
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.
Impossible to Be Civil?
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...
Lost in the Outrage
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...
Loving the Game, Defending the Rules
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.
Let’s Unite In Spite of Russia
Now that we know Russian leaders have been trying to divide us, let’s fight back. Let’s find ways to unite.