Supreme Court is creating a king

 Matt Ford, New Republic -  Congress is barely functional these days. One reason is that Republicans control both chambers and are consciously ceding their power to President Donald Trump. Other structural factors, like gerrymandering and the constant fundraising churn, have weakened Congress’s ability to pass laws and—as shown by the ongoing shutdown—to keep the government open. But perhaps an even more significant reason is that the Supreme Court’s rulings have rendered it a largely vestigial organ in American governance. With last week’s decision to allow the Trump administration to block $4 billion in appropriated foreign aid, the conservative justices effectively transferred Congress’s spending power to Trump.

The ruling was easily overlooked, one of myriad court decisions this year related to Trump’s norm-smashing, lawbreaking rule. But it’s worth considering the ruling’s ramifications more deeply, as it represents a crippling blow to the American constitutional order—and the further empowerment of Trump as a de facto king.  MORE