week 3

Question 1

Episodes of Refounding and the sense which they are “conservative.”

Answer 1

-Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Roosevelt—each initiated a constitutional refounding by waging a “conservative revolution,”
- Their radical commitment to majority rule was tempered by a conservative understanding of the proper role of government in a regime dedicated to inalienable individual rights.

Question 2

Refounding

Answer 2

-America’s founding documents, the Declaration of Independence (1776) and the Constitution (1787), have consistently remained the touchstones of American political development.

-What keeps these documents are the occasional “refoundings” that certain presidents have wrought in how Americans interpret and apply the documents in changing times.

• These “refoundings” required presidents to think constitutionally: to interpret the meaning of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the relationship between the two for their own time.

Question 3

What are some of the components/tactics/partners in the refoundings the US has seen?

Answer 3

-Ronald Reagan’s sale of arms to Iran and provision of arms to the Nicaraguan contras;
George W. Bush’s authorization of unwarranted electronic surveillance;
Barack Obama’s efforts to protect large numbers of undocumented immigrants from deportation
- The outbreak of Civil War led Lincoln to suspend his constitutional conservatism.

Question 4

And what’s “conservative”
about the refoundings that have marked US history?

Answer 4

They use “conservative” not necessarily in its contemporary political sense, but rather to denote a desire to preserve or return to traditional principles and institutions

Question 5

What are the dynamics that mark the refoundings? (Incremental v.
revolutionary? Episodic or continuous? President-driven or
otherwise?)

Answer 5

Refoundings can occur through incremental reforms or revolutionary shifts.
-Incremental change involves gradual adjustments to existing institutions and practices, often through legislative or judicial processes.
-Revolutionary change, on the other hand, involves more abrupt and fundamental transformations, often accompanied by major upheavals or crises.

-Refoundings can be episodic, occurring at distinct moments in response to specific events or crises. For example, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s led to a series of refoundings aimed at addressing racial inequality and expanding civil rights. Alternatively, refoundings can be continuous processes that unfold over time, with ongoing debates and reforms shaping the evolution of the political system.
-President driven or congress driven

Question 6

What’s the net impact on presidential power?

Answer 6

Refoundings have led to an expansion of presidential power, particularly during times of crisis or significant societal change. For example, during periods such as the Civil War, the Great Depression, and times of war, presidents have often been granted expanded power.