I'm even less a fan of the way it tends to be interpreted by a politicised judicial branch (a criticism that can be applied to both right and left, though I'm far less happy about the right), and US politicians and voters in general.
When it comes to constitutional law, the US en masse seems to forget the principle of blind justice and try to suborn it as a partisan club to beat the other guy with. Some of the stuff that goes on around Roe vs Wade, voter registration and equal rights absolutely horrifies me.
The problem with the separation of powers, I think, is that the only way we've found to change the status quo other than a bloody Civil War is via Supreme Court ruling by nine justices appointed for life. (What was that about no monarchy, founders?) Otherwise there's so much obstructionism and filibustering and posturing that nothing gets done. Alternately, the President can issue executive orders...which can just be overturned by the next president.
It's fundamentally unsustainable and that worries me in a way I try not to think about every day so I can function. But since the whole "let's shut down the government every year while we argue about the budget" thing is just...
and don't get me started on how Congress has to approve DC's budget, so Senators and Congresspeople from across the country can ban funding for Metro or abortion *to make a point* even though everyone who actually lives in DC would like to do the Thing.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
regna
(no subject)
Date: 2016-02-19 08:42 pm (UTC)When it comes to constitutional law, the US en masse seems to forget the principle of blind justice and try to suborn it as a partisan club to beat the other guy with. Some of the stuff that goes on around Roe vs Wade, voter registration and equal rights absolutely horrifies me.
The problem with the separation of powers, I think, is that the only way we've found to change the status quo other than a bloody Civil War is via Supreme Court ruling by nine justices appointed for life. (What was that about no monarchy, founders?) Otherwise there's so much obstructionism and filibustering and posturing that nothing gets done. Alternately, the President can issue executive orders...which can just be overturned by the next president.
It's fundamentally unsustainable and that worries me in a way I try not to think about every day so I can function. But since the whole "let's shut down the government every year while we argue about the budget" thing is just...
and don't get me started on how Congress has to approve DC's budget, so Senators and Congresspeople from across the country can ban funding for Metro or abortion *to make a point* even though everyone who actually lives in DC would like to do the Thing.
*flails*