When we say that the institutions are holding out, this is what we mean. usatoday.com/story/news/pol…
Footnote: Federal judges have a lot of power.
What I meant was that one of the democratic institutions, or safeguards, baked into the constitution system is that we have an independent judiciary.
Federal judges are appointed for life, so they don't have to fear retaliation.
Yet another . . .
Federal judges are appointed for life, so they don't have to fear retaliation.
Yet another . . .
. . . another democratic institution is the independence of prosecutors.
The executive branch, under Trump, is trying to seize control of all levers of government.
Here we see one branch of government (the judicial branch) pushing back against the executive branch. . .
The executive branch, under Trump, is trying to seize control of all levers of government.
Here we see one branch of government (the judicial branch) pushing back against the executive branch. . .
. . . the House similarly pushed back against Trump's power grabs and abuse of power.
The Senate, however, completely caved.
The Constitution divides power three ways, which makes it harder for one part of the government (Trump) to seize control of all other parts . . .
The Senate, however, completely caved.
The Constitution divides power three ways, which makes it harder for one part of the government (Trump) to seize control of all other parts . . .
. . . We can compare Trump's power grabs to Hitler's in the 1930s and Putin's in the 1990s.
Germany in the 1930s had only been a democracy since the end of World War I.
Russia had no history of democracy. This means that Germany in the 1930s and Russia in the 1990s . . .
Germany in the 1930s had only been a democracy since the end of World War I.
Russia had no history of democracy. This means that Germany in the 1930s and Russia in the 1990s . . .
. . . had almost no history of democracy and no entrenched democratic institutions.
In contrast, we have a few hundred years of judicial independence and prosecutorial independence.
So the institutions are holding out. (Except for the Senate.)
Other institutions include . . .
In contrast, we have a few hundred years of judicial independence and prosecutorial independence.
So the institutions are holding out. (Except for the Senate.)
Other institutions include . . .
. . .the free press and federalist system. We have 51 separate jurisdictions (federal + the states).
It's a sprawling complicated system with entrenched traditions.
For the people posting cynical ugly comments, please reconsider.
Cynicism will kill democracy faster than Trump.
It's a sprawling complicated system with entrenched traditions.
For the people posting cynical ugly comments, please reconsider.
Cynicism will kill democracy faster than Trump.
I didn't expect this to turn into a thread, but it did, so I put it on my blog, here: terikanefield-blog.com/the-institutio…
