Constitutional Government v Bureaucratic Government

For a wonderful discussion and clarification of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence and the struggle of constitutional govenment v bureaucratic government , see this issue of the "Imprimis", a journal put out by Hillsdale College that has a readership of 1,900,000. Be sure to persevere through to the end as it's a well thought out article/discussion with Peter Robinson of The Hoover Institute.

http://www.hillsdale.edu/news/imprimis/archive/issue.asp?year=2011&month=12

In this issue, the college president Larry P. Arnn -[received his B.A. from Arkansas State University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in government from the Claremont Graduate School. From 1977 to 1980, he also studied at the London School of Economics and at Worcester College, Oxford University, where he served as director of research for Martin Gilbert, the official biographer of Winston Churchill ] , gives a great explanation of the principles noted above and ties it all together near the end with...

" At this college, students are supposed to be civil, and we don’t have many problems because they subscribe to that before they come. Having an honor code makes for good order and operation. Teachers, students, and staff come together and make a common effort. A well-functioning college is a microcosm of constitutional rule, and shows what can be achieved in a country when everyone is governing himself.

It is important for all of us to understand that free people are not governed by rules. Here at Hillsdale we are governed by goals, and then the rules are very broad. Tell the truth, be straight, do not cheat, do not be foul, take care of other people. Those are rules. But the federal rules pertaining to colleges number now more than 500 pages. We at Hillsdale do not live under these rules because we do not take federal money. But I asked our lawyer once to send me the list to read anyway, and he said I wouldn’t be able to read it. I replied that even though I am not a lawyer, I am a pretty smart guy, maybe I can. No, even he can’t read it, he replied, it is incomprehensible.

Ask yourself, who gets powerful under a system like that? The answer is, whoever has the power to interpret the rules. They can do whatever they want.

This is the point I hope every American will come to understand—that in our country, we are supposed to have a very powerful government in order for it to do what it must, but also a government of a far different character than the kind we have today. The distinction between constitutional government and bureaucratic government is fundamental.:

Good stuff.

 

Very thought provoking. Thanks Eric.

 

It's what bureaucrats do...make rules...note that rules are not laws though they are enforced as such. Our law makers have dodged the bullet by giving the bureaucrats the effect of law, thus washing their hands of the results should they go badly. Also, the rules are never simplified, that would be counterproductive to the job security of the originators (i.e, the bureaucrat).

The examples are as easy to find as coal in New Castle. IRS rules? NRC rules? EPA rules? Ever try to start a business in full compliance? Even the rule makers no longer understand their own rules. When motivated to find fault they reach into their bag-o-tricks and eventually they find a violation. That violation then becomes their justification for existence. It ALWAYS requires a bigger, more powerful agency to assuage the grievance. And don't you dare threaten to reduce their budget or almighty destruction will result.

 

Reading Lincoln's "Peoria Address" is also very interesting. It certainly explains the nations slavery history.


http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/tex...2;view=text;idno=lincoln2;node=lincoln2:282.1

 

Roger that. When Arnn mentioned it in the article I had to go check it out.