Is the President Lawfully Able to Circumvent Appropriations?

The government shutdown just crossed the two-week mark. If you take Donald Trump and his people at their word, it doesn’t seem like it’s about to reopen. But they are also huge bluffers. In this episode, Matt and Brian discuss:

* Has Trump hit upon a (legally dubious) way to keep the government “shut down” indefinitely?

* Which signs suggest he’s digging in and which suggest he’s bluffing?

* Are we about to test, once and for all, whether anti-authoritarian politics are more compelling and more galvanizing than cost-of-living politics?

Then, Republicans are desperate to shrink down and smear No Kings protesters en masse. Can this be interpreted as a sign of weakness? Is it a cunning, if ill-intended attempt to tip the country into civil unrest? How close to 1.000 does a non-violent resistance movement have to bat to keep the majority of the public on its side?

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Further reading:

* Brian on the median experience of tyranny.

* Matt argues the authoritarian menace has arrived.

* Brian makes the case that if the current equilibrium devolves into violence, we’ve seen enough to blame Trump.

* Erica Chenoweth on civil resistance.