Members of all three branches of the federal government now act with near impunity in stretching the Constitution to suit their political objectives and personal preferences. This development is illustrated by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act; reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act; the alternative minimum tax; the REAL ID Act; presidential signing statements; warrantless domestic electronic surveillance; the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America; and Supreme Court decisions on eminent domain, the commerce clause, and the First Amendment.

Charlotte Twight is a Research Fellow at the Independent Institute and Professor of Economics at Boise State University.
Civil Liberties and Human RightsConstitutional LawFree SpeechGovernment and PoliticsGovernment PowerLaw and LibertyPrivacy
Other Independent Review articles by Charlotte Twight
Fall 2017 Passing the Affordable Care Act: Transaction Costs, Legerdemain, Acquisition of Control
Winter 2015/16 Through the Mist: American Liberty and Political Economy, 2065
Fall 2015 Dodd–Frank: Accretion of Power, Illusion of Reform
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