Constitution

Presidents are Paid Public Servants, Not Aristocrats above the Law: Lessons from Rousseau, Jefferson and Tang China

Ann Arbor (Special to Informed Comment) – “Let the constitution of a government be what it will, if there is but one man in it exempt from the laws, all the other members must necessarily be at his discretion.” Perhaps we should thank Donald Trump for demonstrating the truth of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s insight. No sooner […]

BDS

Pompeo’s attempt to Penalize Boycotters of Israel aims to Strengthen White Nationalism and Roll back Civil Rights

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Carol Morello and Steve Hendrix at the Washington Post report that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Israeli squatters on Palestinian land in the West Bank on Thursday (well, that is my characterization, they didn’t put it that way). In a bid to please his evangelical constituency and potential Jewish […]

Bill of Rights

Roll up your Sleeves: It will take more than an Election to Restore American Democracy

John Feffer

The Four-Year Rule?

Congress

What if the outcome of the Presidential Election is Disputed? A Constitutional Scholar explains the Murk

The Conversation

By Richard Pildes | – As I’ve Zoom-traveled the country speaking about legal issues involving the election, I have found myself, as well as audiences, bewildered and frustrated by one underlying question: Why is there so much legal uncertainty about so many critical questions concerning the rules for resolving a disputed presidential election? If ever […]

Constitution

Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis: What lies ahead could include a constitutional crisis over succession

The Conversation

By Stephanie Newbold | – Since Donald Trump was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for COVID-19 treatment on October 2, there have been conflicting messages about the status of the president’s health. While his doctor, Sean Conley, gave an upbeat account around noon on Sunday, the president’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, […]

Authoritarianism

10 things you need to know to stop a coup

Waging Nonviolence

(Waging Nonviolence) – We have a president who has openly said he might not respect the outcome of our election. We have to be ready if he claims victory before votes are counted, tries to stop counting, or refuses to accept a loss. Some days I feel confident it will happen. A poll showed over […]

Constitution

Nothing less than Survival of our Constitutional Gov’t is at Stake in Trump’s moves on USPS and Census

Everett Wohlers

Boise, Idaho (Special to Informed Comment) – While we may have become inured to Donald Trump’s assaults on the Constitution and necessary institutions of government, his two recent attacks are existential threats to our democratic republic. First is his attack on the Postal Service (USPS). He withheld CARES Act funds for USPS losses caused by […]

Bill of Rights

“Defendant Shall Not Attend Protests”: In Portland, Getting Out of Jail Requires Relinquishing Constitutional Rights

ProPublica

By Dara Lind | – ( ProPublica ) – Federal authorities are using a new tactic in their battle against protesters in Portland, Oregon: arrest them on offenses as minor as “failing to obey” an order to get off a sidewalk on federal property — and then tell them they can’t protest anymore as a […]

Authoritarianism

Understanding Trump’s game plan in Portland could be the key to preventing a coup in November

Waging Nonviolence

George Lakey | – (Waging Nonviolence ) – While outrage was still growing in Oregon over federal agents’ intervention in Portland, President Trump on July 20 named Chicago, New York, Detroit, Baltimore and Oakland, California as possible next targets. Since then Albuquerque was added to the list. Although the agents’ mission was supposedly to protect […]