Constant Combatants: The President and the Congress

In the battle to conduct foreign policy, the intended system of checks and balances mandated by the Constitution now seems to have degenerated into a tug of war, even a free for all, between the White House, Congress, and the Supreme Court. Indeed, can separation of powers really work in an era of rapidly expanding and unstable global arenas? And what role can an ambitious global-oriented media play in informing the public while remaining sensitive to national security needs? In an effort to restore civility to our national dialogue, this entry in the Fred Friendly seminar 4-video series Liberty & Limits: The Federalist Idea 200 Years Later uses a Socratic dialogue format with a hypothetical situation (everybody's favorite nightmare: a breakaway Russian republic with nuclear weapons), followed by role playing, discussion, and evaluation. Some of the panel members are Beltway heavyweights, including retired Senator Warren Rudman, and former cabinet members Joseph Califano (Democrat) and Alexander Haig (Republican), who memorably characterizes Congress as a "babbling brook" of leaks. Particularly notable is a rare onscreen appearance by one of the most conservative, outspoken, yet private of current Supreme Court justices, Antonin Scalia. Although no definitive conclusions are reached, there is general agreement that the national interest is best served when all parties approach problems in a spirit of compromise. The other titles in the series are: Privacy and Security on the Eve of the Millennium, The Price of Politics: Electing Our Leaders and Whose Law, Whose Order? This series would be useful in advanced high school history and civics classes, as well as public and academic libraries. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)