America goes to war, but Congress is AWOL

In theory, Congress is a separate and coequal branch of the United States government. The U.S. Constitution, the American republic’s most sacred document, vests extraordinary power in the men and women who occupy seats in the legislature, including writing laws and establishing the tax code, funding federal agencies, and overseeing how the executive branch implements policy. The founders were enlightened enough to realize that power is both intoxicating and corrupting, and it is best spread out over several competing players to ensure everybody in the system is kept honest.

Yet as the nation hits the 250th anniversary of its independence this July 4, this remains a work in progress. Our politics now operate in the gutter, with politicians and candidates slinging substance-free arrows at each other and playing to the most extreme partisans on both ends of the political spectrum. Cooperation across the aisle, once a common occurrence on Capitol Hill,