• @[email protected]
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      22 years ago

      tl;dr: Congress has abdicated many of its powers by over-delegating to the executive, and Congress seems perfectly happy to keep i that way. Part of this is because of an unanticipated flaw in the Constitution: the Framers conceived of Congress and the President as rivals, whereas now partisan alignment across branches is much more significant. It’s not mentioned here, but Supreme Court decisions this term have significantly eroded the Chevron Doctrine, which has courts defer to administrative agency’s judgement on interpretation of a Congressional statute.

      As SCOTUS tightens the freedoms of the administrative state, the idea from proponents of tightening is that Congress will step into the gap to reclaim the power that they should never have given away. However, there’s no indication that the fundamental malaise on Congress will lift. It is too polarized and too based around oppositional politics rather than producing compromise bills that best represent the will of the people.

      Representation in general is a problem as well. The Electoral College presents a growing danger because it is increasingly unrepresentative. We’ve now had two elections in 16 years where the winner of the popular vote lost the election. The same happens with Congress, but more severe. Continued minority rule could cause chaos as the majority no long accepts rule by the minority.

      • @[email protected]
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        32 years ago

        Representation in general is a problem as well. The Electoral College presents a growing danger because it is increasingly unrepresentative. We’ve now had two elections in 16 years where the winner of the popular vote lost the election. The same happens with Congress, but more severe. Continued minority rule could cause chaos as the majority no long accepts rule by the minority.

        The people haven’t elected a president since Al Gore. And the last 4? Supreme Court justices were picked by the minority party, from a pool of about 3 dozen or so judges that are part of an openly hostile extremist group.

        • @[email protected]
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          12 years ago

          I’m with you with the justices, but could you elaborate on Al Gore, especially since he didn’t actually get the presidency?

          • @[email protected]
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            32 years ago

            Al Gore won the vote. Then his opponent’s brother, Jeb Bush, governor of Florida suddenly found ‘irregularities’, threw out a ton of votes, and just merely coincidentally now his brother was declared winner? We’re supposed to believe that? Maybe if his dad wasn’t just president a decade earlier, that might be believable… maybe.

            • @[email protected]
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              12 years ago

              Oh, the usual way to say that is “The people haven’t elected a president since Bill Clinton.” since Al Gore was not elected president. But where do Obama and Biden fit in there?

                • @[email protected]
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                  2 years ago

                  That’s a big exception, considering that his time in office comprises over a third of the time since the start of Bush’s term. Also, declaring “the people elected Bernie Sanders” is just wrong. He didn’t get anything near a victory in either primary. He also would almost certainly have crashed and burned hard if he ever got to the general, so equating “socialists love Bernie” to “the people elected Bernie Sanders” is at best unknowable and likely very incorrect.

  • @[email protected]
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    02 years ago

    It’s not perfect. I don’t think I trust anyone currently in congress to write a better one.

    And not anyone on a internet forum either tbh.

    • @[email protected]
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      12 years ago

      I think the problem is more that the constitution isn’t being followed more than there being something wrong with the constitution itself. These people want to get rid of like 3 or more of the first 10 (bill of rights) amendments.

      Step 1. Ensure government fails the people Step 2. Offer to dramatically change the government so that it’s no longer considered failure, but everything else is the same. Fascist playbook.