IDEALISM AND REALISM

NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN BRANCHESMr. Geib and Mr. Fitz-Patrick12th Grade Gov. and Econ.October 26, 2015

THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESSIt produces legislation that can be enacted into law.

DIVIDED GOVERNMENT

Structurally, Founding Fathers designed a government with separation of powers adversarial political parties soon followed!

THE GOVERNMENT IS CONSTIPATED!

Congress, especially, is constipated! And it was designed to be that way.

"Whenever you have an efficient government you have a dictatorship.-- Harry S. Truman

CONSENSUS NEEDS TO BE REACHED!Congressional LeadershipSpeaker of HouseSenate LeadershipTHE PRODUCTION OF PROPOSED BILLS THROUGH LEGISLATIVE PROCESS!POTUSHas to sign the bill and make it a law.

USA, Republic 1.5France, on the other hand, is on its fifth republic.Democracy: Political change via the ballot box, not the bullet.Compromise is easier talked about than achieved in REAL LIFE.

Separation of Powers Conflict

Failure to pass a budget bill in time for new fiscal year. Consequences: federal government shuts down.

Bare Knuckle NegotiationsSpeaker of the House and POTUS need each other, but are political adversaries in these poker style negotiations.

FEDERALISM: DIVIDED GOVTCompromise, compromise, compromise: the system forces this. It aint pretty. But everyone gets something, nobody gets nothing.

FEDERALISMThe divided American federal system prevents tyranny and concentrated powerAdversarial relationships between branches of govtTalk, talk, talk; endless negotiations; compromise.It aint pretty!But everyone gets something, nobody gets nothing.

"Democracy is the worst form of government, except forall those other forms that have been tried from time to time." -- Winston Churchill

May 1941

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