Special Providence_ American Foreign Policy and How It Changed World - Walter Russell Mead

"VindicatorOnlyofHerOwn" 191

affirmed thatno treatycouldbindthe UnitedStates tosend troops
abroadforwarwithoutcongressionalconsent.TheWarPowersActof
1973,requiringcongressionalconsentwhenAmericantroopsareplaced
inharm'swayandthebaneofeverypresidentsinceRichardNixon,was
a classicallyJeffersonianmeasureinattemptingtoassertcongressional
controloverAmericaninvolvementinforeignconflicts.
Theconceptofgovernmentsecrecyis deeplyinimicaltoJeffersonian
ideas. Effortstocontrolthe CIA, todeclassifyas manysecret docu-
mentsasquicklyaspossible,andtosubjectintelligenceand military
institutionstoconstantandintensivecongressionaloversightwithina
frameworkoflawproceeddirectlyfromJeffersonianvalues.
Oppositiontofast-trackauthority-asystembywhichrecentpresi-
dentshavenegotiatedbroadmultilateraltradeagreementsundercon-
gressionalrulesthatallowa voteontheentirefinalpackage,ratherthan
rulesthatwouldalloweitherhousetopickthedealsapart-alsoreflects
Jeffersonianconcernsabouttheintegrityofcongressionalauthority.Sup-
portersofthefasttrackdecrythewaythetraditionalprocedureallows
individualrepresentativesandsenatorstoconducthorsetrading,erect
proceduralobstacles,anddistinguishthemselvesbyallthetricksthat
ourlegislatorshavedevelopedthroughmorethantwocenturiesofpar-
liamentarymanuevers.ToJeffersonians,givinga powerfulvoiceintrade
negotiationstotherepresentativesofeachstateandsectionisa good
thing,nota badone.Ifthisannoysourtradingpartners,it'sprobably
becausetheyknowthattheconstitutionalprocessimprovesourchances
ofgettingabetterdeal.InanycaseJeffersoniansdon'tfeelthesamesense
ofurgencyaboutconcludingevernewandimprovedtradeagreements
thatdrivesHamiltoniansfromoneroundoftradetalkstothenext.
FrustratedHamiltoniansroar thatinfact oppositiontofast-track
comes from special interests that justwant protection.Jeffersonians
shrug;theyarewellawarethattheU.S.governmentsystemisonethat
proceedsmorebypersonalintereststhanprinciples.Theyseenothing
wrongwithcooperatingwithSouthCarolinatextilemillownersone
weekandOregontimbercuttersthenext.Theconstitutionalsystemhas
lastedthislong,theybelieve,preciselybecausetherearemanycompet-
inginterestsinthiscountrythatdonotwanttogiveuptheirrighttobe
heardandtoshapepolicy,evenforeignpolicy.TotheJeffersonianmind
thisisnota disagreeableandpossiblydangerousdefectinoursystem;
itisoneofthegloriesandstrengthsofthatsystem,andtheyaimto
defendit.