Constitution Day and the Executive Order

Check out this vintage (Obama era) Saturday Night Live skit that – when the laughter dies – should be a sobering reminder that the vision of the founders must be renewed by every generation.

​On Sept. 17 in 1787, thirty-nine American men signed their names to adopt the United States Constitution, setting in motion the political system we have today.
 
It is a system of checks and balances, one that allows the Legislative branch to deliberate the will of the people, the Executive branch to bring energy and focus to national leadership, and the Judiciary to keep their actions in check with the laws and Constitution.
 
In recent years we’ve seen the Executive branch step away from this system by devising executive orders that sidestepped Congressional statute and judicial review. One prime example is EO 12333, in which the president authorizes surveillance outside of any statute. It allows the executive branch to spy on Americans, violating their Fourth Amendment rights and potentially curtailing their speech and First Amendment rights (both part of the Bill of Rights, which was ratified in 1791).
 
Today, both presidential candidates are promising to make far-reaching changes by executive order. Check out this vintage (Obama era) Saturday Night Live skit that – when the laughter dies – should be a sobering reminder that the vision of the founders must be renewed by every generation.