The Founders Didn’t Build a Parliament
Yet that’s what we seem to be approaching, with each party operating in lockstep.
Alan Dershowitz’s (welcome) political conversion ultimately derives from a fundamental change in the nature of our national legislature (“Why I’m Becoming a Republican,” op-ed, April 21). The monolithic voting of each party has transformed Congress from a deliberative body of individually elected representatives to what is essentially a parliament, in which one party has a predetermined majority, affording it total control, including the extremely powerful House speakership. The other party is irrelevant. Even “independents,” who might otherwise have a moderating leverage—akin to that of minority members of a coalition in a true multi-party parliament—are now mostly in reality Democrats. Particular candidates, however impressive their personal qualifications, cease to matter. The important thing is voting for the party that best reflects one’s political priorities. Not exactly what the Founders envisioned.
Stanley Spatz
Hollywood, Fla.
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-founders-didnt-build-a-parliament-8ca80d97?mod=wsj_furtherreading_pos_5
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