Or at least that is what this very cool new poll from the National Constitution Center says:
Two-thirds of Americans oppose altering the balance of power among the three branches of government to strengthen the presidency, even when they thought that doing so would improve the economy or national security.
…Congress should have the power to require senior presidential aides to testify before House and Senate committees …
The government’s power to take private property for redevelopment had little support in the poll, not even when owners are paid a fair price and the project creates local jobs.
Read the whole thing — it is really hopeful until you remember that this poll doesn’t quite reflect the attitudes of any branch of many city, state or even the Federal government. I had a long argument with a few local politicians recently about a question related to those polled and accused that person of no longer having the ability to think with their citizen hat on. The first rationale that these pols reached for was the politician-protective one — which is, at base, the only reason for much of the erosions of citizens rights and the accumulation of additional powers. Both parties have major issues here AND the accumulation of power may be one of the few reflexively bi-partisan efforts left.
So here’s my question — if Americans don’t like pols having more power — why are we so easily scared into letting them have it?