“When the president fails to execute a law as written, he not only erodes the separation of powers, he breeds disrespect for the rule of law and increases political polarization.”

Posted on February 1, 2014 by ChrisA

Presidents Cannot Ignore Laws as Written – NYTimes.com.

Once such precedent is established, damage to the constitutional architecture is permanent. The next president of a different party will face similar pressures and undo all the previous actions. He will initiate a new round of unilateral lawmaking, satisfying his own political base. The law will fluctuate back and forth, and our legislature will become little more than a rubber stamp for a single elected individual, which is not how representative government is supposed to work.

Give me gridlock.

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1 Response to “When the president fails to execute a law as written, he not only erodes the separation of powers, he breeds disrespect for the rule of law and increases political polarization.”

  1. Mark Miller says:
    February 2, 2014 at 2:39 pm

    I made this point re. the President’s actions. The law is a shared compact, and the only way it can work is if it’s applied equally. If the party in power assumes it can apply the law unequally, then this encourages criminality. Rather than everyone having the opportunity to advance on an equal basis, those seeking advantage who are not friends with the powers that be will have to operate outside that compact to accomplish their goal.

    Reply

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