Up until 1920s Congress was the strongest Exception Lincoln Congress gave FDR leeway Major Crisis WWII Congress gives him some slack so he can make decisions FDR compared to almost all others was a very powerful president Presidents after FDR didn t want to give up power dominated Congress Congress during 60s and 70s controlled by Democrats were internally divided Cross cutting issues civil rights and Vietnam Until 1968 it was almost always the case that the gov t were united President House and Senate all the same party Ballots voted for all the same party until 1970s when there was ballot splitting Since 1968 it has generally been divided gov t different parties between President and 2 Houses United government can accomplish a lot same parties no fighting and disagreeing Divided government if there a lot of moderates then there is common ground so compromises occur Happened in 1960s enough moderates that compromise could be reached BUT if there are very few moderates then there is little room for common ground so gridlock occurs Happening now Senate Dem House Rep President Dem almost no moderates Why can t we work together now Polarization very conservative or very liberal not much middle President liberal not extreme Studies back to first Congress analyzed voting in every Congress since the beginning Keith Pool current Congress is more polarized than any other Congress since the Civil War Effectively no moderates and non moderates are extreme House unusual at this time Professionals people who have been in politics for a while and have a certain mindset Understand that you don t get everything you want Have to settle for part of what you want or you get none of what you want Once we win we get what we want Amateurs people involved in politics who have a certain mindset New to politics Very idealistic We ve been doing the same thing for decades and it hasn t worked We need radical problems get to the root of the problem Ex Tea Party Movement not a party very conservative within Republican party More concerned with getting things done right but not focused on winning Tea Party Movement don t budge on what they want so nothing gets done Power Struggles between President and Congress Nixon Rep Congress Dem Congress was divided and weak so Nixon could get a lot of what he wanted done Congress tried asserting power During Vietnam war no declaration of war Congress has right to declare war but President can send out the troops 1973 War Powers Act Resolution We recognize that in a crisis we need a leader who can act immediately so yes President has authority to call troops into combat but he must get congressional authority within 60 days or he has to bring the troops back home Every president since then has ignored that law except George Bush Sr Impounding funds Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 Congress writing Legislative Veto into laws o Hidden if we congress don t like the way you are carrying out this law we have the authority to stop you or force you o Went to Supreme Court 1983 decided that law violates separation of powers and is therefore unconstitutional also those 100s of laws are unconstitutional Reagan Rep During Cold War Congress passed laws Bolen Amendment US can t give any money for purpose of overthrowing gov t of Nicaragua Halfway across the world 8 Americans taken hostage by terrorist group Reagan sold weapons to those terrorists who paid that money to the Samonistas o Violated the law He needs to be impeached idea of this was basically unheard of Laws were broken but the president himself did not break them because he didn t order them himself to be broken bad that he didn t realize this law was being broken but he wasn t personally involved Gave up on the idea of impeachment Does raise a number of questions on impeachment ultimate check on any of the branches Impeachment can only result in only one punishment removal from office What should be the grounds for impeachment o Bad behavior showing up drunk or not showing up at all judges o Different for president has to be serious How serious does it have to be Treason Bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors o Treason aid to others against the US o Bribery getting money to pass laws or veto things o Other we don t know what that means seems to imply serious crimes misdemeanors means doing things wrong or misbehaving American people chose this person to be the President of the US When Lincoln was president Rep he chose VP as a southern Democrat hoping to unite nation o Andrew Johnsons Dem left after assassination If one president dies and VP becomes new president he can t fire any of the cabinet o Was law at the time o Supreme Court later said that is nonsense Johnson stayed president but very weak Watergate questions Is this serious enough to impeach Cheats on income taxes illegal but personal not political much more serious crimes but he broke his oath No warrant for someone to be spied on Orders witnesses in a trial and pays them off so they won t testify Knows that his aids and assistants are breaking lots of major laws doesn t do anything about it No answers to these questions but just think about them Was it a threat to the US Gov t or Constitutional System How involved was the President Did he call the orders How strong is the evidence How many people Are there documents 1990s Clinton was president and had an affair with a White House intern half his age When this came out he lied to the American people and probably to his wife and staff not illegal However the Republicans who controlled Congress this is about the lie that he made under oath Lying under oath perjury not relevant to trial though so it wasn t perjury Obstruction of justice tried to not let the truth come out President Clinton engaged in sexual activity both swore under oath that they had oral sex not intercourse What does this have to do with US Gov t Republicans came to a vote 97 to impeach 97 of Democrats voted to acquit Senate voted on two articles of impeachment and on neither charge were they able to get a majority 50 votes to convict and only 45 on the other need 67 Impeachment that looks like partisanship