Greg Power OBE’s Post

The US Constitution is one of the world’s oldest constitutional democracies. US politics is an extensive, changing system with lots of layers. As the political landscape continues to evolve, it's crucial to stay informed about the dynamics of United States politics. Check out this comprehensive article: https://lnkd.in/eYybnVxE

https://lnkd.in/guXT2ahd "In America, we’re supposed to have three branches of government and a robust system of checks and balances. What we’re not supposed to have is an unaccountable fourth branch of government that is impervious to the changes promised by winning presidential candidates. Yet, thanks to the idea that government should be run by supposedly nonpartisan, apolitical experts, we have that fourth branch. Some call it the administrative state; some call it the managerial state; some call it the Deep State. For the sake of our constitutional republic, conservatives must dismantle much of the bureaucracy and return the power to those who are elected by—and accountable to—the American people. The bureaucracy is notoriously unfriendly to conservative ideas."

Now available, Richard Tuck's Active and Passive Citizens is a powerful case for why majority rule—not representation—is the defining feature of democratic politics. The idea that democratic governance rests on active self-rule by citizens plays surprisingly little part in current theories of democracy, which instead stress the importance of representation by elected, appointed, or randomly selected bodies such as legislatures, courts, and juries. This would have astonished eighteenth-century theorists of democracy, who viewed universal suffrage and majoritarian voting as the sole criteria for democratic politics. Active and Passive Citizens defends the view of these earlier thinkers, asserting that individual agency is the very essence of democracy. Learn more about this powerful book: https://hubs.ly/Q02vn_d20

heritage.org PressNEWS RELEASE Oversight Project Uncovers White House Attempts to Rig Election May 2, 2024 WASHINGTON—The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project released a memo Thursday detailing recent records the project obtained which show the Biden Administration's coordination with left-wing groups to increase partisan left-wing voter registration. In March 2023, the Oversight Project filed a FOIA request with the Department of Justice for all records regarding the department’s current or planned implementation of Executive Order 14019 (“Executive Order on Promoting Access to Voting”). Returns show that the Department of Justice hosted a listening session with “voting rights” advocates as part of this implementation but the sessions involved only left-wing 501(c)(3)s discussing voter registration efforts. The documents uncovered by the Oversight Project show that the groups that attended the listening session were affiliated – either by political donation or party affiliation – with the Democratic Party. One Green Party-aligned group was in attendance, but not a single Republican. Mike Howell, executive director, and Kyle Brosnan, chief counsel for the Oversight Project at The Heritage Foundation issued the following statement regarding the memo release: "The Oversight Project is actively investigating multiple threats to our election systems. One of the biggest dangers to free and fair elections is the Biden Administration's weaponization of every single federal agency to work with far-left groups for the biggest get-out-the-vote operation in human history. “Of course, these efforts are only being pointed in one direction in an illegitimate attempt to keep President Biden in the White House. Our findings prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this whole effort was implemented in a radically partisan manner. We will be releasing much more on this threat soon and urge all members of the public to stay alert. “The Oversight Project has sent FOIA requests surrounding the executive order to every agency and in key states seeking to shed light on the depth of the Biden administration's weaponization of federal resources and influence on elections. Our determination to uphold transparency in the wake of insufficient congressional oversight regarding this executive order remains resolute." Heritage Instagram Heritage YouTube Privacy Policy Copyright © 2024, The Heritage Foundation

In the first instalment of a two-part special by the Americas Focus Group ahead of the US elections, we look at four key issues for the way the 2024 elections will unfold. What does the future hold for American trade? by Francesco Palluda Healthcare - plans, reforms, how it will shape the election, by Alessandro Matrone The key issue of abortion, by Marta Stella Demographics and voting ahead of the 2024 election, by Edoardo Maggi https://lnkd.in/dFEkhgRj

Explore the fascinating history of Roman voting and its relevance to today's political landscape. Discover how ancient voting procedures evolved and the parallels to modern-day voting access. Read more https://t.ly/PSndl #romanhistory #VotingAccess #PoliticalStruggle

A truly excellent, even-handed piece making the case that the time for citizens' assemblies in the US has arrived, and how to approach the path forward wisely. Thank you at Daniel Stid. While “the idea of representative government finds itself on the ropes, ... Citizens’ assemblies can help us resolve some of the big problems we have with representative democracy. They bring authentic and representative citizen perspectives to bear in policymaking and, at the same time, refine public opinion through informed deliberation and judgment. ...they are not just about increasing citizen participation in government and policy-making, ... [and] are as much if not more about improving the representativeness and quality of deliberation through carefully structured processes. They are a constructive response to the growing bottom-up / anti-elite energy on the political right and left alike. Paradoxically, citizens’ assemblies could also provide elected officials more leeway to pursue courses of action they actually think are right but currently cannot follow. Citizens’ assemblies would elevate disinterested, informed, and representative perspectives relative to the self-interested, knee-jerk, and hyper-partisan stances (often fueled by wealthy donors) that too often prevail today. Well-administered citizens’ assemblies could thus begin to counter the runaway polarization and misinformation that bedevil us." Linn Davis Sarah Yaffe Peter MacLeod Laura Wood Suzette Brooks Masters Michael Gallagher Kristin J. Hansen Lauren Higgins Matt Prewitt Humphrey Obuobi Philip Lindsay Misha Chellam

One of the better books that I have read about Grant, and I have read a few. Lots of insightful discussion of Grants post civil war activities to put the union together, make all men free, and the horrible opposition to Grants efforts. Highly recommended

The Empire of Eunuchs: How The Republican Party Betrayed America https://a.co/d/bHnSTSM Officially available on the GGV Publishing Company, LLC's website and amazon.com. Order your copy! Description: "The Empire of Eunuchs: How the Republican Party Betrayed America" describes the failure of Republicans to confront the Left and the Democrat Party from the perspective of a conservative, America-First, traditionalist who has himself run for office. Rather than challenge the vicious Left and meet sword with sword, Republicans cowered, ran for cover, or even worse, enabled them, thus making it worse. They have won just as many elections as Democrats at the national level and far more at the state level, over the last four decades, yet the country is dismally broken, culturally, morally, and financially. The author reviews the pitiable path the Republicans have chosen, defines also the horrendous depravity of the Left, and then offers, in the final section, a direction forward for conservatives – and the country. #books #publishing #publisher #publishingcompany #publishinghouse #writing #authorship #becomeapublishedauthor #nonfiction #academicbooks #history #politicalscience #economics #politicalhistory #economichistory #socialhistory #legalhistory #internationalrelations #americanpolitics #politicalphilosophy #politicalopinion #commentary #economictheory #historyofeconomicthought #appliedeconomics

New article with Lise Herman out and open access! In the article, we investigate how political challengers articulate new political divides in European political party systems and with what implications for representative democracy. Looking at the case of France, we identify the strategies that Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron have used to construct a new divide beyond left and right. Both actors explicitly reject left/right politics; create political agendas that merge elements of the left and the right; finally, they also explicitly identify each other as opposite poles in a new divide. We also consider whether this new divide they are articulating is any more conducive to democratic politics than the 'old' left/right cleavage. Spoiler alert: we consider it is not. In fact, it may exacerbate deficits of representation, mobilization, and liberal safeguarding. https://lnkd.in/dYNKx5HF