Why Our Government Works This Way: A Watch List on the American System
Last month I put together a watch list about why thirteen colonies decided to become a country. This is the sequel, and it asks the harder question. Once they had won independence, why did Americans build their government the way they did? Why three branches instead of one strong executive. Why a Senate and a House. Why so much power stays with the states rather than collecting in Washington. None of that was obvious in 1787, and the people in the room disagreed about all of it. ...