Government by Committee: President's Changing Leadership Responsibilities
Throughout most of the 18th and 19th centuries Congress jealously guarded its legislative powers. But as the nation moved from an agrarian to an industrial society, stronger presidential leadership became necessary. Woodrow Wilson viewed the preside...
Question of Sovereignty, A: Supreme Court's Role in Federalism, The
When conflicts arise over federalism, it is usually up to the Supreme Court to determine which level of government is best authorized to act. Their position has fluctuated throughout history. The commerce clause, often used to justify greater federa...
Question of Sovereignty, A: Contrast in Nixon's and Reagan's Approach to Federalism
Richard Nixon tried to "rationalize" the system by sorting out the functions of government at each level. He developed a program of general revenue sharing which gave federal grants without strings to state and local governments. Reagan viewed this ...
Question of Sovereignty, A: Constitutional Basis of Federalism
Unlike many other decisions made at the Constitutional Convention, federalism was not based on established political theory. It was a solution to a problem. The national government formed under the Articles of Confederation was dependent on the stat...
Question of Sovereignty, A: Great Society Increases Size of the Federal Government
The Great Society initiatives of Lyndon Johnson's administration tripled the number of federal programs and further tilted the balance of power toward the federal government. Politicians from the South and from conservative Republican areas were con...
Pressure Politics: One Nation; Many Voices
How can a nation achieve the unity necessary to govern itself when it so diverse? A case in point is the gun control debate and al the different points of view that cloud the issue. Through the years people have found that their voice is strengthene...
Living Constitution, The: Amending and Interpreting the Constitution
The Constitution changes more through interpretation than through the formal amendment process, although there have been periods when numbers of amendments have been passed in a short period of time. The language of the Constitution tends to be very...
Leader for a Nation: High Crimes and Misdemeanors
At times Congress has taken steps to curb misuse of power through its Constitutional power to impeach and remove a president from office. President Nixon may have been guilty of major offenses in relation to the Watergate break in and cover-up but h...
Party Politics: Evolution of the Democrat and Republican Parties
Republicans and Democrats of today bear little resemblance to their predecessors. From the time of Lincoln until the 1930s, Republicans were the great reformers who believe in active government whereas Democrats with their base support in the South ...
Legal Precedent: Legislating from the Bench
Because the judiciary's duties are not defined in the Constitution, its role in the policy-making arena is often debated. The Supreme Court's mandate says Michael Perry, "is not to do justice as the justices understand justice....It is rather to mak...