Leader for a Nation: Legislative Responses to Executive Abuses
Congress rarely uses its power to impeach. More often, it elects to respond legislatively to executive abuses. The War Power Act, for example, came into play when Iraq invaded neighboring Kuwait in the early 1990s and President Bush moved to interve...
Leader for a Nation: President's Relationship with Congress
As the only nationally-elected official, the president can direct public attention to a particular issue or program. But will Congress follow the president's lead? Mickey Edwards and Gary Jacobson compare the relationship between the president and C...
Party Politics: Ideological Differences Between Republicans and Democrats
There are distinct ideological differences between Republicans and Democrats. In recent years the Republicans have become more coherent in their conservatism, whereas Democrats debate about whether or not the party should be more moderate. Democrats...
Legal Precedent: Proper Role of the Judiciary
The word "activist," often used in reference to court decisions, can have quite different meanings. The Warren court, for example, departed in many ways from decisions of the past and was critical to the struggle for inclusion by communities of colo...
Right Turn: Supply-side Economics
Reagan assumes the presidency at a time when the country is in economic crisis. During the campaign he had introduced his solution--supply-side-economics. With conservative backing, the Reagan administration decides to accept unemployment at a certa...
Most Basic of Rights, The: Freedom of the Press...Has It Gone Too Far?
Freedom of the press was an important element from the early years of this country. For a brief period in the late 18th century the Sedition Act limited the right of the press to criticize the federal government but that was short lived. Since two W...
Right Turn: Trials of Jimmy Carter, The
President Carter's inexperience in Washington causes some tension in Congress. With high annual inflation rates and high unemployment, Carter appoints Alfred Kahn as "inflation czar." In that role Kahn is asked by Congressional committees to explain...
Leader for a Nation: Presidential End Runs
No member of Congress can compete with the ability of the president to get news attention. In recent years some presidents have elected to appeal to the American public for support of their policies rather than rely on their ability to bargain with ...
Balance of Power: Political Parties and Ideology
The ideological spectrum of mainstream American politics extends from liberalism on the left to conservatism on the right. In many cases, one's choice of political party and accompanying philosophy is established very early in life, although convent...
Candidates and Campaigns: Paths to Political Office
There are two paths to public office, coming up through the party ranks or becoming an entrepreneur and raising campaign funds yourself. One of the most important assets in electoral politics is positive name recognition. This may come from a family...