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Separation of powers – Checks and Balances

                        -- each branch can attack the other

                        -- each branch has a different constituency

 

President                                      Congress                                                       Supreme Court

Enforce laws                                    Make laws                                                     Interpret laws

Veto                           override veto                                                   Judicial review

Nominate Sup. Court.                   Impeach the president

                                                     Confirm pres. Nominees

                                                       Control appropriations 

                                                      Impeach judges

                                    Control appropriations

 

Legislative supremacy

 

            - power to make laws

            - sole power over appropriations 

                        remedy: divide the congress into two branches

 

            1789-1937 Congress dominates the federal government

1937 Rise of presidential government -- FDR

            1969 divided government

 

1978 Ethics in Government Act – establishes a “special prosecutor” to investigate worng doing within the executive branch

 

President

            Presidents beholden to Congress members for nomination

1832 national convention system replaces “King Caucus”

            (presidents more likely to use veto)

                        1937 Rise of presidential government -- FDR

 

Supreme Court – review of congressional acts fairly rare

            1803 Marbury v. Madison  -- judicial review

1935 – court rules 8 out of 10 new deal statutes because of lack of legislative authority – leads to court packing plan

 

recent actions against Congress

1985 INS v Chadha – legislative veto – regulatory agencies were supposed to get congressional approval for new regulations

                        1986 Bowsher v. Synar – strikes down part of  Gramm-Rudman

                        1995 US v Lopez, 1996 Printz v. US

            actions against president – really only 3 since rise of presidency

                        1952 – steel seizure case

                        1974 – US v Nixon – president could not ignore subpoena for tapes

                                    executive privilege does not apply to pres records

                        1997 – Clinton v Jones – not immune from civil lawsuits