ABSTRACT

No aspect of American democracy is more fundamental than the separation of the executive power from the legislative power. Separation of powers and the checks and balances that follow from this separation were thought by the founders to be a sine qua non for limited government. If a democracy is to function acceptably, citizens must have a mechanism for rewarding those elected officials whose work they approve of and replacing those whose performance is found lacking. Elected officials, who generally seek to remain in office, understand this basic tenet of democracy and thus work hard to satisfy the demands of their constituents. Those seeking alternatives to the two-party system say that it is flawed because of an inability to govern effectively. Some, such as Theodore Lowi, say that because the parties must make such broad appeals, they promise too many things to too many people and are thus immobilized.