Jacobin Radio Behind the News: The Constitution v. Democracy w/ Aziz Rana
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Apr 28, 2025 Aziz Rana, a Boston College Law Professor and author of The Constitutional Bind, delves into how the U.S. Constitution may have paved the way for Donald Trump's rise and the ensuing political turmoil. He critiques the authoritarian tendencies embedded in the Constitution and explores the expansion of executive power during Trump's presidency. Rana warns of a potential constitutional crisis stemming from unilateral actions and advocates for the left to build collective power through alternative structures like unions to combat political extremism.
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Constitution Enables Minority Rule
- The US constitutional system overrepresents states, not individuals, skewing democratic representation.
- This structural design helped elect Trump despite him losing the popular vote and enables his political persistence.
Rise of the Powerful Presidency
- The 20th-century US constitutional politics empowered a strong presidency to compensate for a fractured legislature.
- This empowered presidency, combined with courts deferring on national security, laid the groundwork for executive overreach and authoritarian tendencies.
Congressional Weakness Hinders Reform
- The US Congress's structural design hinders passing progressive legislation due to divided and overrepresented rural states.
- Landmark laws passed during the New Deal and 1960s were exceptions fueled by unique social and political conditions, not the system's design.
