One of the major stories of the past decade is the weakening of Congress as an actual decision-making body, as opposed to merely a theater for selective grandstanding. War powers (Syria), budget (shutdowns/debt ceiling standoffs), toothless impeachment, immigration EOs, trade ...
Since 2010, Congress has basically abdicated most of its policy-making powers to the President (Obama and Trump), quietly happy to avoid any real responsibility, and unwilling (on a partisan basis) to exert any real oversight, (except for theatrics).
One effect has been to immensely raise the stakes of winning the Presidency, since any executive action can be easily reversed. It also dumbs down policy into talking points devoid of substance (because there's no responsibility for actually dealing with substance).
On Syria, for instance: members of Congress are free to either gripe or simply ignore the President's actions, because they've abdicated any role in either shaping or limiting those actions - and are happy to do so.
The President doesn't make trade policy, CONGRESS does - with the exception of delegated legal powers. But Congress has deferred almost entirely to Trump on trade, with barely a peep.
On impeachment, it is becoming difficult to imagine what would constitute a removable offense that would prevail over the partisan imperative to rally in President's defense for practical and ideological reasons.
The Founders' expectation was that separation of powers would create INSTITUTIONAL incentives that would help check factional ones. And for a long time, that HAS worked. But it doesn't seem to be working now.
What's happening instead is that Congress has increasingly become a sort of ego-chamber for performance artists slash waiting room for presidential ambitions, real or delusional. Very little legislation being crafted, or even substantive oversight.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
