The Cliff and the Clauses
St-Hermenegilde, CA - October 13, 2019: Elections Canada Vote sign in front of a polling station (photo by Marc Bruxelle at Shutterstock.com)So the House of Representatives can’t bring itself to pass a...
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In the House but Not of the House?
If you haven’t heard, there’s a job opening on Capitol Hill. It pays well but, as the outgoing incumbent might tell you, the management duties are pretty stiff. The job, of course, is the Speaker of...
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The Case for the Unitary Speaker
Speaker Joseph G. Cannon swatted Progressive reforms from 1903-1911.The debate over who will be the next Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is really a debate about the structure of power in...
View ArticleProgressivism Is a Long-Term Threat to the Rule of Law
St-Hermenegilde, CA - October 13, 2019: Elections Canada Vote sign in front of a polling station (photo by Marc Bruxelle at Shutterstock.com)Many people are concerned about Donald Trump’s commitment to...
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What’s Wrong with American Politics
U.S. Capitol (Tono Balaguer/Shutterstock.com)Congress has lost sight of its role as a body to deliberate and work out conflicts: in essence, they disdain politics.
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Losing the House May Help Trump More Than It Hurts Him
(image: Nicole S. Glass / shutterstock.com)Despite all appearances, the Democratic takeover of the House increases the odds of Trump’s reelection in 2020.
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Real Purpose of the Senate: To Check the Actions of the House
The Old Senate Chamber in the U.S. Capitol (image: Architect of the Capitol)Senatorial independence is the highest value, said the Founders—more important than the particular interests of the states...
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Who Reaches the Pinnacle of Power in Congress, and Why?
Ideology plays a role in House leadership contests, but it is only one of many factors.
View ArticleThe Cliff and the Clauses
So the House of Representatives can’t bring itself to pass a serviceable tax bill. Whereupon Vice President Biden and Senator McConnell cut some backroom deal, which the Senate passes by a lopsided...
View ArticleIn the House but Not of the House?
If you haven’t heard, there’s a job opening on Capitol Hill. It pays well but, as the outgoing incumbent might tell you, the management duties are pretty stiff. The job, of course, is the Speaker of...
View ArticleThe Case for the Unitary Speaker
The debate over who will be the next Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is really a debate about the structure of power in our political system. Members of the House’s Freedom Caucus argue...
View ArticleProgressivism Is a Long-Term Threat to the Rule of Law
Many people are concerned about Donald Trump’s commitment to the rule of law, a concern I share. But the other choice in this election is a Progressive one, and Progressivism by its nature lacks that...
View ArticleWhat’s Wrong with American Politics
American politics does not make much sense. Millions of people from across the political spectrum are frustrated with the status quo in Washington and the gridlock in Congress that has become its...
View ArticleLosing the House May Help Trump More Than It Hurts Him
Losing the House of Representatives to the Democrats in Tuesday’s midterm election will likely help President Trump win reelection in 2020. First, assigning blame to one party for policy inactivity...
View ArticleReal Purpose of the Senate: To Check the Actions of the House
Niccolò Machiavelli was one of the principal architects of American constitutionalism. A heterodox thinker in his day, Machiavelli observed in his Discourses on Livy (1531): “Those who blame the...
View ArticleWho Reaches the Pinnacle of Power in Congress, and Why?
Few would dispute the critical role that party leaders play in Congress today. They are intimately involved in every stage of the legislative process. Leaders set the agenda, resolve disagreements...
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