Delegates from around the country, almost all of whom were state officials, arrived in a steamy legislative chamber 237 years ago. They were sent by their respective states to Philadelphia with the charge to “render the federal constitution adequate for the exigencies of the Union.” Fresh from their revolutionary and victorious fight for freedom from...
We all remember Gov. Roy Cooper’s 888-day state of emergency during the height of COVID. It allowed him to decide which businesses could open and when. It allowed him to decide if schools could be open and under what conditions. In short, it gave him a level of power that no single leader often enjoys...
Has there even been a point of time in which so many public controversies rest on a single, abstract principle of constitutional government? I can’t think of one. The principle in question is the separation of powers. Here are only some of its recent political manifestations: • The U.S. Supreme Court has just blocked President...
When COVID-19 first struck North Carolina nearly three years ago, Gov. Roy Cooper responded with a series of executive orders that closed or limited the operations of schools, businesses, public amenities, and even churches. Cooper’s attempt to regulate worship services didn’t survive legal challenge, but most of his other pandemic policies stayed in place for...
Everything the Anti-Federalists worried about in 1789 has come to pass.
North Carolina has now been under Gov. Roy Cooper’s unilateral statewide state of emergency for over 33% of his entire tenure in office – or nearly 600 days. The current order was impressed upon the citizens of North Carolina on March 10, 2020, without following statutory mandates to consult with the Council of State. In...
If legislative Democrats refuse to restrain the incumbent governor, perhaps it's time to think about 2025.
The American founders were diligent students of history. We would be wise to check our arrogance and channel their knowledge about government and human nature. The separation of powers concept is an essential framework of our Constitution designed to prevent the tyranny of centralized power. Unfortunately, a concept that is already floundering because of lack...
If you believe in America’s system of constitutional government, you think a mix of democratic and non-democratic elements is better than a simple majoritarian democracy.
Thomas Jefferson was renowned for stressing that authority ultimately rested with the people and not the government. Self-government often seems more like a theoretical concept today, or even a partisan issue. Ultimately, so much of what we see in politics today is a belief that Americans are no longer capable of governing themselves. They need more rules, and regulations to cope, and “free stuff” to...
Twice in the span of less than 30 minutes, some lawmakers choose to back the governor rather than their own institutional interests.
