How unlimited congressional investigations could destroy our constitutional order

Inching toward an American parliament

Can Washington effectively govern any longer? Bitter partisanship has become such a feature of American politics that voters have understandably lowered their expectations about the effectiveness of our institutions.

Now that partisanship, and a growing trend toward maximalist politics, has escalated the tension between the legislative and executive branches to a level that threatens a complete breakdown in governance. A blizzard of investigations by the Democratic House into the executive branch and into the personal finances of the president and his family has resulted, predictably, in an all-out strategy of blocking those efforts. As the subpoenas and lawsuits pile up between both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, the courts face a legal tangle that threatens to lead to utter futility when voters split power in Washington.

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Edward Morrissey

Edward Morrissey has been writing about politics since 2003 in his blog, Captain's Quarters, and now writes for HotAir.com. His columns have appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Post, The New York Sun, the Washington Times, and other newspapers. Morrissey has a daily Internet talk show on politics and culture at Hot Air. Since 2004, Morrissey has had a weekend talk radio show in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and often fills in as a guest on Salem Radio Network's nationally-syndicated shows. He lives in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota with his wife, son and daughter-in-law, and his two granddaughters. Morrissey's new book, GOING RED, will be published by Crown Forum on April 5, 2016.