Would Lincoln be frustrated with today's Congress?
Just a few points here and there (less than 5, for sure, on an assessment grade)--but it's an interesting read.
Read, choose a quote, and comment with some analysis.
Be sure you check that your post actually posts--no responsibility on my part for technical glitches--and they do happen! I recommend typing your post in Word and saving it in case yours is lost and you need to re-post.
This applies to ALL CLASSES (Mrs. R and Mr. Wilkerson!)
Due Monday after Thanksgiving.
ALSO--Am hoping to get a group together to see the Lincoln movie, potentially at either Noon OR 4:00 pm on Wednesday. We'd meet outside the theater and sit together--could be fun! Mr. Wilkerson and I would willingly substitute this (given a proper write up afterwards) for your extra credit movie for the 6 weeks!
Please comment with your intentions to come/not come and which time (noon or 4 pm) you prefer!
I would love to see the Lincoln movie on Wednesday. Either time would work equally well for me.
ReplyDeleteMrs Rodruiguez, the Lincoln movie is not showing in the College Station movie theatre tomorrow. I think it is closed for the Holiday. Were we planning on going to the Bryan movie theatre?
ReplyDeleteSome sites said that it WAS showing, others that it wasn't... so I think Bryan is the safer bet. I just posted the details!
DeleteNice catch!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLincoln WOULD be frustrated with today's Congress to a large degree. Like the article states, we have a "lame-duck" Congress trying to figure out "what to do about the fiscal cliff", etc, but never really reaching any plausible conclusion. Lincoln would be focused on propelling the country forward with attempts at collaboration at ALL COSTS, but the nearly 50/50 Congress disagreements create a standstill and prevent anyone from doing anything. Bad attempts at collaboration exist, and the fact that some members attempt agreements is a positive sign, but so far we have a long way to go before we GET anywhere. Over all, Lincoln would be disgusted.
ReplyDelete[I don’t think I interpreted the assignment correctly.]
ReplyDelete“As the new Congress gets ready to reconvene in January, this is the time to consider reform. If we want to reach the high moments captured in Spielberg's film about Lincoln, we need to make sure our political process, albeit difficult, works. Otherwise dysfunction will rule.”
So Zelizer closes his argument. However, he argues that to attain the success Lincoln reached with his executive power (as seen in the movie) we should “curtail...executive power,” which doesn’t quite make sense. Zelizer seems more to be using Lincoln and the popularity of the new movie as a starting point for a rant against what he finds is the root of the federal government’s incompetence. He makes clear that a Congress that can’t agree on much, an overly-powerful president, and all these interest groups are making the government dysfunctional, which is true to an extent.
Lincoln probably would just want to get things done.
"The White House, for example, needs to curtail one of the legacies of Lincoln that has often caused friction with Congress and circumvented the kind of the checks and balances we depend on: executive power."
ReplyDeleteAs the quote mentions, Lincoln exercised the powers permitted to the president fully and then some. Throughout the Civil War and in the passage of the thirteenth amendment, Lincoln took liberty into his own hands with questionable legality, overriding laws and constitutional provisions in the name of "war measures." While his actions did heavily explore the boundaries the president's constitutional rights, they were necessary to preserve the Union and abolish slavery amid a national war. A century and a half later, with no civil wars on the horizon, America is still uncertain as to exactly how far the presidential power stretches, strongly hinting that perhaps Lincoln's manipulation of law should be accepted and even expected as natural in a crisis like that of the Civil War.
"Movies such as Spielberg's often result in inflated expectations about what a president could achieve in the current political environment. The reality is that even the best presidents would have trouble rounding up votes in the contemporary Congress."
ReplyDeleteIn the modern era, information spreads quickly, and the will of the masses bleeds over to the actions of Congress (although we rarely see this happen efficiently). In Lincoln's time, he too had problems with his Congress and their lack of swift decision making, and the unchanging nature of Congress in that time and in this time dictate that he would certainly have conflict with Congress. The varying extent of executive power throughout the years implies that almost all presidents have had a less than stellar relationship with their Congress. Lincoln's powerful executive actions resulted not from good camaraderie with his Congress but by taking (probably illegal) power into his own hands. Almost all presidents, including Lincoln, would be frustrated with today's Congress and would seek to take control into their own hands to swiftly better the country. Lincoln's history merely shows that in times of desperation, America looks to a single leader to provide power. However, Zelizer's assessment remains correct in that Congress rarely supports any president of any level of competency.
“But it's not just Congress that has to step up its act. The White House, for example, needs to curtail one of the legacies of Lincoln that has often caused friction with Congress and circumvented the kind of the checks and balances we depend on: executive power.”
ReplyDeleteWould Lincoln be upset with today’s Congress? Well, first we have to realize that Lincoln’s Congress was not America’s Congress—it was the Union’s Congress. Without the Confederate States, Congress lacked almost half of its members—and half of its opinions (particularly those on states’ rights which antagonized those that supported the extension of executive power Lincoln achieved during his presidency). Even when the 13th amendment was passed and the Confederate states had re-entered the Union, they had fared the worst in the war and the concept of states’ rights, of having the right to secede from a tyrannical central power had vaporized into thin air with the souls leaving Civil War battlefields. The Civil War symbolized a shift in American politics away from the Jeffersonian ideal of a democracy built from its foundation at the people spiraling up through each microcosm of the federal government to the federal regime itself to a government solely rooted in the central node of power—particularly the executive branch. In America today, the general population regards senatorial elections and the appointment of Supreme Court justices with complacency, yet unleashes a plethora of mudslinging, rumors, scandals, and ridiculous pensions at the cusp of every presidential election. Why? Because, to America, the president makes the decisions. So, for this reason, I believe Lincoln would agree with the function of today’s Congress in relation to the president as its current bipartisan tensions have allowed the executive voice to ring out above all others. The purity of the ideals of Montesquieu, Locke, and Jefferson we want children to believe in have been tainted by the heavy hand of executive power.
“As the nation continues to be obsessed with a sex scandal involving top military officials and as the lame-duck Congress figures out what to do about the fiscal cliff, Washington would do well to think seriously about how government reform might improve the basic machinery of the federal government so that elected officials are better able to handle the big issues of the day such as unemployment, immigration, climate change and more.”
ReplyDeleteLincoln would definitely be frustrated with today's Congress. As stated in the passage above, government officials and America’s citizens seem far too immersed in social agendas instead of focused on solving national problems. If these powerful men and women become worried or sidetracked with social standing and other frivolities, the big problems such as unemployment or climate change cannot be solved, which is why, as this article states, reform must come from within the government. Lincoln’s let’s-get-it-done attitude, as shown especially by his 10 Percent Plan for Reconstruction, would have undoubtedly clashed with the standstill our government seems to be at currently as a result of its malfunctioning “basic machinery.” With the almost 50/50 decisions made by Congress nowadays, the two clear sides have begun to create a large rift in Congress, in turn causing the lack of progress. With such vehement disagreements in Congress, Obama’s (as well as other presidents’) going a tad bit overboard with the executive power seems rather like Lincoln’s (occasionally unconstitutional) use of his executive power in his time. Lincoln’s desire to execute his plans swiftly clearly oppose the slow-moving pace of today’s Congress; therefore, he would have likely been as frustrated as the presidents of this century.
Throughout the 20th century, and especially in recent decades, presidents routinely employ executive power, such as signing statements, to circumvent the will of Congress. Obama, who started his term critical of how President George W. Bush had employed this authority, has started to replicate his predecessor.
ReplyDeleteWould Lincoln be frustrated with today’s Congress?
I think he would be frustrated with today’s Congress. The America and Congress centered themselves from society; they would rather seek for individual profit than national problems. The concept of Democratic party and Republican party has changed completely through out several decades. After civil war, especially in recent decades, president have more powe in executive branch than any other people. Lincoln wanted governtment “of the people, by the people, for the people”, not for selected people. Even though the motive of America is democracy, the economy and social factors goes around wealthy people and the congress and laws are developed by certain branch. I think Lincoln would not like this changes happened in recent decades.
I may talk about off-topic but I read the article! :)
Julian Zelizer: “Movies such as Spielberg's often result in inflated expectations about what a president could achieve in the current political environment. The reality is that even the best presidents would have trouble rounding up votes in the contemporary Congress.”
ReplyDeleteCommentary by Sanathan Iyer.
Let us examine the state of affairs with the current Congress. The current Congress fails to see the big picture. They tend to get easily distracted and fail to focus on the bigger problems facing our nation. For instance when there are problems such as unemployment, trade deficit, immigration, foreign policy issues – Syria, Afghanistan, Palestine, etc., the Congress is obsessed with the sex scandal involving top military officials. I agree that this needs to be addressed but not at the expense of more important issues threatening this country’s future.
The priorities of the current Congress does not align with that of the President. For instance, in 2008 President Obama had vowed to reform the campaign finance that funds the election. Very little progress has been made since 2008. On the recent election, it is estimated that over $6 billion has been spent on the election. If the campaign reform bill had been passed, we would have saved a sizeable chunk that could be invested into our economy avoiding the fiscal cliff that the Congress is worried. This would have definitely helped the economy. Once again, the current Congress failed to get their priorities in order.
The filibuster tactics of the Congress is being used on each and every issue facing the nation. This tactics is another reason why national issues remain unresolved.
With such congressional leaders in Washington, it is imperative that even the best presidents, will have their share of obstacles in getting the current issues resolved. Exercising their executive power may get some of the president’s agenda accomplished. But that is only an interim solution and not a permanent solution. The interim solution is only good that favors party politics and will soon be overturned by the incoming president. We have seen where some of the initiative s under the executive power taken by Obama’s predecessor, George Bush, has been overturned by Obama.
In a nutshell, I share the same sentiments of Julian Zelzier that if Lincoln were to be alive, he will have a tough time in getting anything done with the current state of affairs in Congress.