The Claim That Trump Is Causing a Constitutional Crisis Ignores a Key Reality
Claims of an ongoing constitutional crisis are overblown.
Opponents of Donald Trump’s whirlwind return to the presidency scream "constitutional crisis." They claim that the administration will defy the courts, then overthrow the constitutional structure and govern by executive decree. The New York Times editorial board alleged that many of Trumps’ first moves "blatantly exceed what is legally granted. He and his supporters have sought to undermine those best positioned to check his overreaches of power. And he is moving to eliminate the tools of accountability in government." Almost 1,000 law professors chimed in with a letter claiming Trump’s actions are "beyond his constitutional or statutory authority."
Claims of a constitutional crisis are overblown, if not completely imaginary. Critics would have a better claim to credibility if they were not so obviously partisan. These same authority figures did not warn of a constitutional crash when President Joseph Biden, without congressional authorization, forgave an estimated $400 billion in federal student debt – a constitutional "power grab" if there ever was one, and a far cry from anything Elon Musk’s efficiency drive will find in cuts.
They saw no constitutional crises when the Biden administration claimed emergency powers under COVID-19 to shut down the economy, halt most travel in the nation, require mandatory vaccinations and support the closures of churches, schools and even political meetings.
Politics
National Civitas Institute Poll: Americans are Anxious and Frustrated, Creating a Challenging Environment for Leaders
The poll reveals a deeply pessimistic American electorate, with a majority convinced the nation is on the wrong track.
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Liberal Democracy Reexamined: Leo Strauss on Alexis de Tocqueville
This article explores Leo Strauss’s thoughts on Alexis de Tocqueville in his 1954 “Natural Right” course transcript.
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Long Distance Migration as a Two-Step Sorting Process: The Resettlement of Californians in Texas
Here we press the question of whether the well-documented stream of migrants relocating from California to Texas has been sufficient to alter the political complexion of the destination state.
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Who's That Knocking? A Study of the Strategic Choices Facing Large-Scale Grassroots Canvassing Efforts
Although there is a consensus that personalized forms of campaign outreach are more likely to be effective at either mobilizing or even persuading voters, there remains uncertainty about how campaigns should implement get-out-the-vote (GOTV) programs, especially at a truly expansive scale.
Parliament, Country, and Friendship
James Grant’s delightful Friends Until the End also has much to tell us about the character of statesmen and the power (and limits) of rhetoric.
Why Can’t We Have a Real Filibuster?
The history of congressional reform is the history of unintended consequences.
