The American Spectator

Political Hay

(Page 2 of 2)

America was slow to adopt welfare programs, social security, unemployment insurance, and government-supported health care, while Europe adopted these policies rapidly. We have kept our tax rate lower than it is in most of Europe. The central difference is not that Europeans are either smarter or dumber than we, but that a parliamentary system permits temporary popular majorities to make bold changes rather quickly, whereas a presidential system with a powerful, independent, and internally divided Congress requires that big changes undergo lengthy debates and substantive accommodations.

br> Eventually, America did adopt many welfare programs (mainly during two periods in our history when Democrats held huge majorities that enabled the American government, in Wilson's words, to "act like a parliamentary system"), but America has not degenerated into a full-fledged European welfare state largely because of the way our Constitution was written.

This may be bad news for progressives, but even those of them who are eager to tear up the U.S. Constitution and start all over should consider that a parliamentary system cuts both ways. Liberals may have been frustrated by their inability to achieve universal healthcare during the Clinton years, but if America were a parliamentary system, they would have woken up to the reality of a Prime Minister Gingrich the morning after the 1994 elections. Had it not been for the "cumbersome legislative process," Democrats would have found it much more difficult -- if not impossible -- to stop Social Security privatization last year.

Obviously, it still makes a difference what party is in power. Should Democrats emerge victorious next month, they will likely investigate President Bush aggressively and block attempts to make his tax cuts permanent. But Republicans will still have an arsenal of tools at their disposal to stymie the Democrats. And for that, we have the founders to thank.

topics:
Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Social Security, Environment, Constitution, Law, Alaska