Why Is the Constitution Not Democratic?

Why Is the Constitution Not Democratic?
A copy of the U.S. Constitution is seen in Washington on Dec. 17, 2019. Andrew Harnik/Pool/Getty Images
Dennis Hale
Marc Landy
Updated:
Commentary

It’s hard not to notice that in the United States, political arguments frequently turn on questions that, in other democracies, nobody talks about. What are the powers of the legislature? What may the executive do? What can the states do without begging permission from the national government? Why can’t an idea popular with the public become a law?

Dennis Hale is a professor of political science at Boston College and the author of "The Jury in America: Triumph and Decline."
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