Senate Approval Process, The
Former Secretary of Labor and university professor Robert Reich talks about his approach to the Senate approval process after being named President Clinton's choice to be Secretary of Labor. "Rather than answer their questions with an argument, I an...
Government by Committee: Presidency, a Position With Sparse Constitutional Direction, the
The writers of the Constitution had a basic idea of what they wanted in a president: a national leader who would carry out the law of the land, a statesman who could negotiate with world powers; a commander-in chief in times of conflict. It was impo...
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...
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: Anti-Federalist Arguments Against the Constitution
Opponents of the Constitution raised arguments against it that still echo in American politics. Concern over such issues as federal taxation, the potential oppressiveness of a national army, and the state-federal relationship still exist today. The ...
Living Constitution, The: Dividing Sovereign Powers Between State and Federal Governments
Power was divided not only among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government, but between federal and state governments. Federalism is a kind of political competition where the national government and the states vie to attract th...
Legal Precedent: Facts, Laws, and Original Intent
In any legal case a basic distinction is drawn between facts, the relevant circumstances of a legal dispute, and applicable laws. The court must consider common law, judge-made law, legislative statutes, and the Constitution which as the higher law ...
American Heritage: A Nation of Nations
The Framers of the Constitution excluded many people from active participation in the newly-created government, but the fact that the language of the Constitution they created was inclusive, provided the opening for excluded groups to be brought int...
Changing Election Traditions
Former Secretary of State James A. Baker argues against federalizing presidential elections. "Article Two of our Constitution says the state legislatures of each state will determine how presidential electors are selected," Secretary Baker points ou...
Federal Workplace, The: Bureaucracy in Historical Framework, The
The federal bureaucracy is not defined in the Constitution; it is a creature of laws. What was originally a small, elite corps of socially prominent men in 1789 became, with the inauguration of Andrew Jackson, a group of ordinary citizens who served...