‘In Republican Government, the Legislative Authority Necessary Predominates’

Michele Bachmann may not know what part of the Constitution she thinks was violated by Romneycare, but she nevertheless deserves credit for making an excellent point about our constitutional design during Monday’s GOP presidential forum. While many unsuspecting public school students (myself included) have been taught otherwise, ours is not a government of separate and equally powerful branches — at least not by design. In truth, the federal government’s branches were intended to be separate and independent — but not equally powerful.

During the forum, Bachmann said the following during an exchange with Princeton professor Robbie George, a leading conservative intellectual: