The Brademas Center sponsors public lectures, symposia, conferences, roundtables and briefings that address the question of Congressional capacity for decision making -- whether, how and why that capacity has declined; and what measures can be taken by Congress to strengthen and enhance its ability to make good public policy. Events covering a range of policy and procedure issues take place in New York City, Washington, DC, and at various NYU international sites.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Constitution Day: The Constitution And The Balance Of Powers
Over 220 years ago in Philadelphia, the framers of the Constitution set out to create a system of representative government that would united the 13 former British colonies under a Federal Government strong enough to defend its citizens and territory and pursue common national interests, but still not become so powerful as to devolve into tyranny.
Their solution was built into the very foundation of the new government with a series of checks and balances to prevent the President, the Congress or the Courts from accumulating so much power as to threaten the liberty of the citizens.
The history of the country has seen the ebb and flow of power among the executive and legislative branches, through times of war and peace, economic crisis and prosperity. Beginning with the Great Depression and World War II, however, there has been a steady increase in the powers of the Federal Government in general, and of the Executive Branch in particular. And since coming into office in 2001, President George W. Bush, and in particular Vice President Dick Cheney, have pushed to restore Executive Branch power which they felt had been too reined in following the Nixon Watergate scandals.
The question today is whether the Democrats, after winning back control of the House of Representatives and Senate in 2006, have begun to shift power back to the other end of
Join a discussion between NYU President John Sexton and