Balkinization: No confidence (either in Bush or the Constitution)

Comments:

I am from the Netherlands were we have a rule of confidence. The only way the administration can remain in power is if it is supported by a simple majority in the House. I would like to add that there is no such provision in our constitution. The rule of confidence is an unwritten rule.

At some point in our history the King got nervous about the revolutions throughout Europe and decided to give power to congress. However he retained the power to chose his administration. The administration got into a conflict with the House. The administration refused to cave in and the House used it's power to block the entire budget. The administration decided to disolve the House and order general elections but the newly elected House blocked the budget again. After dissolving the House a second time, the newly elected House threatened to block the budget once again and the administration left. Since then we have the rule of confidence.

So there is no need to change your constitution if Congress is decided on claiming this power.

However I would suggest that this couldn't or shouldn't happen in the US. The reason is that you chose to have an elected president. By electing the president he has his own mandate and responds directly to the people. He directly represents the people.

Congress is represents by the people as well. If you enter a rule of confidence than the president can only remain if a (super)majority of the representatives of the people say so. You'd have to bodies representing the people quarling. I would argue against mixing the systems up unless you are willing to subject the president to the will of congress (as the administration is with us)

The only ones of repealing the mandate given by the people to the president would be to let them (in a formal way) revoke their support. Maybe a system in which a 2/3 majority of congress could force an up or down vote/election on the sitting president would be an option.

# posted by

Anne : 2:44 PM

Could you define "truly functional? I'm having a bit of trouble distinguishing it from "Sandy Levinson likes it."

Personally, I don't have to like something to admit it's still working.

# posted by

Brett : 4:26 PM

Professor Levinson,

This administration ranks as one of our nation's great embarrassments, even shames. But it's no reason to blame, or change our constitution. The flaws in our system may not serve simple populist notions of democracy, but there are cogent arguments against such systems. Partisan complaints are a poor reason for a Constitutional Convention.

Your book, "Our Undemocratic Constitution," makes a strong case against the disproportionate power of small states, and that might be reason to call for a new Constitutional Convention. But here strictly partisan reasoning is against you. The recent win by the Democratic party cannot reasonably be viewed as some kind of national outpouring of sentiment against the rising tide of social conservativism nor against the rule of big business. It has been said Bill Clinton was the best Republican President this nation has seen in many a year. These are not the Democrats I suspect you would want helping you draft a new Constitution. Nor is our semi-literate, MTV and Fox-news sated electorate the gaggle of persons on whom I could reasonably pin my hopes of seeing a better document drafted.

Your arguments remind me of the maxim, "The best is the enemy of the good." Like our entire system of law, our Constitution is horribly flawed. But it's better than it could be, and it permits of change, no matter how arduous the task of creating that change. I tend to think it is good, if not "best," and I would rather spend my time working within it, to better it, than run the risk of this electorate or this Congress give us something so very much worse.

Respectfully,
Robert Link
2l

# posted by

Robert Link : 4:27 PM

Anne already mentioned the fundamental problem -- it's undemocratic at a basic level for Congress to remove a President elected by the people as a whole.

This issue was discussed at the Convention:

"In all public bodies there are two parties. The Executive will necessarily be more connected with one than with the other. There will be a personal interest therefore in one of the parties to oppose as well as in the other to support him. Much had been said of the intrigues that will be practised by the Executive to get into office. Nothing had been said on the other side of the intrigues to get him out of office. Some leader of party will always covet his seat, will perplex his administration, will cabal with the Legislature, till he succeeds in supplanting him." Gouvernor Morris, July 24, 1787, emphasis added.

The selection of the Executive was one of the most contentious issues at the Convention, some favoring selection by Congress, others favoring election by the people. I'll let Madison summarize the problem with selection by Congress (Morris alluded to it in the passage quoted above):

"The election must be made either by some existing authority under the Natil. or State Constitutions-or by some special authority derived from the people-or by the people themselves. -The two Existing authorities under the Natl. Constitution wd. be the Legislative & Judiciary. The latter he presumed was out of the question. The former was in his Judgment liable to insuperable objections. Besides the general influence of that mode on the independence of the Executive, 1. the election of the Chief Magistrate would agitate & divide the legislature so much that the public interest would materially suffer by it. Public bodies are always apt to be thrown into contentions, but into more violent ones by such occasions than by any others. 2. the candidate would intrigue with the Legislature, would derive his appointment from the predominant faction, and be apt to render his administration subservient to its views. 3. The Ministers of foreign powers would have and make use of, the opportunity to mix their intrigues & influence with the Election. Limited as the powers of the Executive are, it will be an object of great moment with the great rival powers of Europe who have American possessions, to have at the head of our Governmt. a man attached to their respective politics & interests. No pains, nor perhaps expense, will be spared, to gain from the Legislature an appointmt. favorable to their wishes."
Madison, July 25, 1787.

There were also theoretical reasons against it. Madison again (July 17, 1787):

"If it be essential to the preservation of liberty that the Legisl: Execut: & Judiciary powers be separate, it is essential to a maintenance of the separation, that they should be independent of each other. The Executive could not be independent of the Legislure, if dependent on the pleasure of that branch for a reappointment. Why was it determined that the Judges should not hold their places by such a tenure? Because they might be tempted to cultivate the Legislature, by an undue complaisance, and thus render the Legislature the virtual expositor, as well [as] the maker of the laws. In like manner a dependence of the Executive on the Legislature, would render it the Executor as well as the maker of laws; & then according to the observation of Montesquieu, tyrannical laws may be made that they may be executed in a tyrannical manner."

Note that the problems arising from the Legislative appointment of the Executive apply almost equally to the Legislative removal of the Executive.

The question may fairly be asked, "if the President should not be appointed or removable by the Legislature, why provide for impeachment?". Again, this was debated at the Convention (July 20, 1787). Pinkney, Morris, and King all opposed the idea. In King's words:

"He wished the House to recur to the primitive axiom that the three great departments of Govts. should be separate & independent: that the Executive & Judiciary should be so as well as the Legislative: that the Executive should be so equally with the Judiciary. ... The Executive was to hold his place for a limited term like the members of the Legislature: Like them particularly the Senate whose members would continue in appointmt the same term of 6 years he would periodically be tried for his behaviour by his electors, who would continue or discontinue him in trust according to the manner in which he had discharged it. Like them therefore, he ought to be subject to no intermediate trial, by impeachment."

Ultimately, Morris conceded the point: "Mr. Govr. MORRIS admits corruption & some few other offences to be such as ought to be impeachable; but thought the cases ought to be enumerated & defined".

The meaning of the phrase "high crimes and misdemeanors" is opaque today and probably was in 1787 too. Tradition more than by Constitutional limitation makes it difficult to remove the President. Given the reasoning at the Convention, that tradition seems to me to have achieved the right balance.

# posted by

Mark Field : 4:28 PM

Professor Levinson:

Let us take your thought experiment to its logical conclusion...

If we were in a parliamentary system where a vote of no confidence would be needed bring new elections before the term of the government is completed, a GOP parliament never would have provided such a vote of no confidence in a negative political environment and the Dems never would have narrowly taken power with a 40% turnout during an off year election with the prime minister still in power...

Hmmmm...

Maybe a parliamentary system has its advantages.

# posted by

Bart DePalma : 7:59 PM

cara mengatasi berbagai macam penyakit secara alami tanpa menyebabkan efek samping
Obat Herbal Tulang Keropos Obat Herbal Amandel Kronis Tanpa Operasi Obat Herbal Vertigo Akut Obat Herbal Glaukoma Tanpa Operasi Obat Herbal Varises Obat Herbal Kanker Usus Halus Obat Herbal Alzheimer Paling Ampuh Obat Herbal Epilepsi Obat Herbal Sipilis Obat Herbal Pasca Stroke Obat Herbal Kanker Hati Tanpa Operasi Obat Herbal Meningitis Obat Herbal Untuk Penyakit Faringitis suplemen pemutih wajah Obat Herbal Bopeng Di Wajah

# posted by

Unknown : 8:47 PM

Cara paling manjur mengobati virus herpes kelamin
obat herpes tradisional yang ampuh
obat herpes terbaik
obat herpes tangan
obat herpes tercepat
obat herpes tipe 2
obat herpes tradisional untuk bayi
obat herpes tenggorokan
obat herpes terbaru
obat herpes tablet
obat herpes tomcat
obat herpes tumbuhan
Kapur sirih untuk obat kutil kelamin
Obat kutil kelamin medis
Obat menghilangkan kutil kelamin
Obat menyembuhkan kutil kelamin
Obat tradisional menyembuhkan kutil kelamin
Obat minum untuk kutil kelamin
Obat medis untuk kutil kelamin
Merek obat kutil kelamin
Obat kutil kelamin de nature
Nama obat kutil kelamin
Obat tradisional buat sipilis
Obat herbal buat sipilis
Obat dokter buat sipilis

# posted by

Reseller De Nature : 6:13 AM

Obat generik buat sipilis
Obat sipilis dengan bayam duri
Obat sipilis yang bagus
Obat china sipilis
Cara obat sipilis di apotik
Cara obat sipilis pada pria
Cari obat sipilis
Contoh obat sipilis
http://agusus1.blogspot.com/
http://agusyafii.blogspot.com/
http://amateursexxxx.blogspot.co.id/
Obat sipilis Obat kutil kelamin obat wasir http://oplosanobatkutilkelamin.blogspot.com/
http://www.smaboy.com/u/obatkutil
http://tinyblogs.net/u/obatkutil/
http://tinyblogs.net/u/obatkutil/
http://obatkutil.blogszino.com/
http://obatkutil.over-blog.com/
http://obatkutilkelamin-tradisional.jimdo.com/
http://www.lautanindonesia.com/blog/obatkutilkelamindanjenggerayam/
http://obatkutilmanjur.weebly.com/
http://obatkutilampuh.livejournal.com/
http://obatkutilkelamintradisional123.blogdetik.com/
http://obatkutil12345.edublogs.org/
http://pengobatankutil.blog.planetbiru.com/
http://obatkutil.freeblog.biz/
http://batkutil.blog.com/

# posted by

Reseller De Nature : 6:14 AM

# posted by

Unknown : 5:00 AM

obat gonore apa
obat alternatif gonore
obat gonore yang ampuh
obat gonore yg ampuh
obat gonore yang paling ampuh
obat gonore yang dijual di apotik
obat buat gonore
obat bakteri gonore
obat paten penyakit gonore
obat herbal untuk penyakit gonore
obat antibiotik untuk penyakit gonore
obat tradisional untuk penyakit gonore
resep obat gonore
ramuan obat gonore
obat sakit gonore
obat suntik gonore
obat untuk sakit gonore
supertetra obat gonore
obat alami sembuhkan gonore
obat gonore tradisional
obat gonore terbaik
obat gonore terbaru
obat gonore tangerang
Obat herpes tradisional yang ampuh
Obat herpes zoster
Obat herpes kulit
Obat herpes simplex
Obat herpes genital
Obat herpes di apotik
Obat herpes kulit di apotik

# posted by

Unknown : 5:00 AM

Obat tradisional wasir dan ambeyen
Obat alami ambeien dan wasir
Obat herbal wasir atau ambeien
Obat tradisional wasir ambeien
Obat alami wasir atau ambeien
Obat tradisional untuk wasir atau ambeien
Obat alami untuk wasir/ambeien
Obat tradisional untuk penyakit wasir atau ambeien
Obat tradisional wasir atau ambeien
Obat tradisional mengobati wasir/ambeien
Obat herbal untuk penyakit wasir/ambeien
Obat herbal untuk wasir atau ambeyen
Obat tradisional untuk ambeyen atau wasir
Obat tradisional ambeien atau wasir
Obat alami wasir atau ambeyen
Obat untuk ambeyen dan wasir
Obat wasir dan ambeien
Obat wasir ambeyen tradisional
Obat wasir atau ambeyen
Obat sipilis Yang manjur
obat sipilis denature indonesia
Obat sipilis resep dokter
Obat sipilis paling manjur
Obat sipilis pada wanita

# posted by

Unknown : 6:28 AM

Obat menyembuhkan kutil kelamin
Obat tradisional menyembuhkan kutil kelamin
Obat minum untuk kutil kelamin
Obat medis untuk kutil kelamin
Obat kutil kelamin DE NATURE
Merek obat kutil kelamin
Obat kutil kelamin de nature
Nama obat kutil kelamin
Nama salep obat kutil kelamin
Obat kutil kelamin tanpa operasi
Obat oles untuk kutil kelamin
Obat kutil di alat kelamin pria
Obat untuk kutil pada kelamin
Obat tradisional kutil pada kelamin
Obat penyakit kutil kelamin
Obat penghilang kutil kelamin
Obat perontok kutil kelamin
Obat tradisional kutil kelamin pada pria
Obat untuk penyakit kutil kelamin
Propolis untuk obat kutil kelamin
Obat alami untuk penyakit kutil kelamin
Obat kutil pd kelamin
Resep obat kutil kelamin
Obat anti sifilis
Obat sipilis dijual di apotik
Obat sipilis murah di apotik
Obat alami sipilis pada pria
Obat sifilis ampuh

# posted by

Unknown : 4:59 AM

Obat sifilis apotik
Obat sipilis beli di apotik
Obat sipilis buat wanita
Obat sipilis buatan sendiri
Obat sipilis bagi wanita
Obat buat sipilis
Obat biotik sifilis
Obat antibiotik buat sipilis
Obat tradisional buat sipilis
Obat herbal buat sipilis
Obat dokter buat sipilis
Obat generik buat sipilis
Obat sipilis dengan bayam duri
Obat sipilis yang bagus
Obat buat sifilis
Obat sipilis.com
Obat sipilis ciprofloxacin
Obat china sipilis
obat kutil kelamin dan leher
obat alami menghilangkan kutil kelamin
obat tradisional untuk menghilangkan kutil kelamin
kumpulan obat kutil kelamin
obat tradisional kutil kelamin
obat penyakit kutil kelamin
obat tradisional untuk kutil kelamin

# posted by

Unknown : 4:59 AM

وجود الموظفين المدربين بشكل صحيح يضمن أن أفضل شركة تنظيف بالرياض سوف تعطيك أفضل خدمة تنظيف متوفرة. ومن المهم أيضا التأكد من أن الموظفين

وتدريبهم بشكل صحيح لخاصية معينة (مثل الأرضيات ومكاتب) يمكن عن طريق الخطأ خدشها إذا تم تنظيفها بشكل خاطئ، لذلك نعلم أن موظفي شركة تنظيف تم

تدريبهم بشكل صحيح في التنظيف والتأكد من أن خدوش الهواة نتيجة للتنظيف بشكل غير صحيح لن يحدث.
أفضل شركة تنظيف شقق بالرياض كثيرة. ولكن ما يميزنا عن غيرنا هو جودة الخدمات

لدينا وولائنا للعملاء حيث أن أهم شىء بالنسبة لنا هو راحة العملاء. نحن متاحون طوال الأسبوع لذلك لا تقلق إذا كانت هناك حالة طارئة
أفضل شركة تنظيف فلل بالرياض عادة ما تكون متاحة من الاثنين حتى السبت مع العمل نصف يوم في عطلة نهاية

الأسبوع. ولكننا نعمل علي مدار الأسبوع.
تسربات المياه يمكن أن تحدث في أي وقت دون أي تحذير، وقد يكون الوقت متأخرا جدا قبل أن يعرف أحد في المنزل عنهم. للكشف عن مثل هذه التسريبات نحن

نقدم أفضل شركة كشف تسربات المياه بالرياض

حيث نقوم بإستخدام جهاز إلكتروني للكشف عن التسريبات و يتم وضعه في المكان الذيمن الممكن أن يحدث فيه تسرب.
من الخدمات الأساسية التى نقوم بتقديمها هي نقل وتخزين الأثاث فى السعودية وتنقسم الي

أفضل شركة تخزين الأثاث بالرياض و إنشاء مسار واضح ودون عائق للأثاث الذي تحركه. تأكد من أن جميع الأطفال والحيوانات الأليفة بعيدين عن

طريق الأذى قبل بدء التحرك والتواصل مع الآخرين الذين يساعدون و أنت تتحرك. أفضل شركة نقل اثاث بالرياض ، ومما لا شك فيه أن الجميع يبحث عن أفضل الطرق الخاصة

بنقل الاثاث على اعلى درجة ممكنة من الأمان ؛ حتى لا تتعرض المنقولات لحدوث أى تلف أو ضرر.
هناك العديد من التساؤلات التى تدور فى ذهن كل منا حول مدى تأثير المبيدات الحشرية التى نستخدمها فى المنزل على الأطفال أو الحيوانات وماهى المواد السامة

التى تحتوى عليها وتكون فتاكة بالنسبة للحشرات ، خدماتنا فى مجال مكافحة الحشرات عالية جداً حيث نقدم أفضل شركة مكافحة حشرات بالرياض.
القضاء على الفئران عن طريق المصيدة التى توضع للفأر ويوضع له فيها الطعام المحبب للفئران الذى تعشقه الفئران ومن هذه الاطعمة الجبن بكل أنواعها وخاصة

الانواع الغالية منها مثل الرومى أو الريكفورد أو الشيدر ومن الاطعمة المحببة للفئران أيضا الطماطم المخلوطة بالدقيق أو شرائح الدجاج المخلية و نحن نقدم

أفضل شركة مكافحة فئران بالرياض.

# posted by

Muhammad Ammar : 11:49 AM

شركة الاوائل من اهم الشركات التى تعمل فى مجال التنظيف وتتمتع بتاريخ عريق فى مجال التنظيف وبالاخص فى تنظيف الكنب فاذا اردت ان تشعر بالفرق الواضح

بينا وبين اى شركة اخرى تقوم بنفس الخدمة فعليك ان تستعن وتتصل ب

أفضل شركة تنظيف كنب بالرياض على الفور وتاكد انك سوف تشعر بالفرق الواضح بينا وبين اى شركة تقوم بنفس الخدمة على الاطلاق.
لا تترد في الحصول علي أفضل شركة مكافحة حشرات بالرياض من شركة الأوائل للتخلص للأبد من إزعاج الصراصير و النمل

الأبيض و البق و غيرها و الحفاظ علي منزلك نظيف و جميل.
البقع الناتجة عن فضلات النمل الأبيض أن تسبب مشكلة صعبة حقا بالنسبة لأصحاب المنازل. ويمكن أن تكون عنيدة جدا ويصعب إزالتها في بعض الأحيان ولكن

شركة مكافحة النمل الابيض جنوب الرياض هذا لن يكون سببا للقلق بالنسبة لك بعد الآن حيث أننا الأفضل في مجال تنظيف و مكافحة الحشرات بشهادة عملائنا

السابقيين و الحاليين.

# posted by

Muhammad Ammar : 11:50 AM