By Michael Hudson / CounterPunch Vested interests create “checks and balances” primarily to make political systems non-responsive to demands for social reform. Historically, therefore, the checks are politically unbalanced in practice. Instead of producing a happy medium, their effect often has been to check the power of the people to assert their interests at the […]
“Vested interests create “checks and balances” primarily to make political systems non-responsive to demands for social reform.”.
It is thanks to checks and balances that we don’t currently have a dictator Trump running this country. Anyone who thinks checks and balances are a bad idea need only take a cursory glance at the world over the past few years to realize we would be far worse off without them. From Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil to Boris Johnson in the UK, would be autocrats were thwarted in their quest to remain in office by these same checks and balances.
It’s not the concept is bad at all, it’s the fact checks and balances have been corrupted by corporations. Today they’re just really to ensure corporate America isn’t held accountable.
“Vested interests create “checks and balances” primarily to make political systems non-responsive to demands for social reform.”.
It is thanks to checks and balances that we don’t currently have a dictator Trump running this country. Anyone who thinks checks and balances are a bad idea need only take a cursory glance at the world over the past few years to realize we would be far worse off without them. From Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil to Boris Johnson in the UK, would be autocrats were thwarted in their quest to remain in office by these same checks and balances.
It’s not the concept is bad at all, it’s the fact checks and balances have been corrupted by corporations. Today they’re just really to ensure corporate America isn’t held accountable.