America’s Unhealthy Obsession With the Supreme Court
A focus on the court (and the presidency) detracts from much-needed attention on Congress.
What happens here matters, too.
Photographer: Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty Images
Americans’ growing preoccupation with the culture wars has meant a greater focus on the two branches of government where these often symbolic battles are most fought and noticed: the presidency and the Supreme Court. A byproduct is the relative neglect of the third branch, Congress.
This has led to poor governance. Not long ago, the Republicans passed a tax reform bill, in part because they thought voters would like it. Six months later, the bill is losing popularity. The benefits of the bill are not generally transparent, the economy is doing fine anyway, and even diehard Republicans don’t seem so excited.