ABSTRACT
The theory of a constitutional democracy grounded on a Bill of Rights and an expanding suffrage was established and so, with glaring imperfections, was the practice. The pyramiding, convolving problems of this age force governments to attempt ameliorative policies that constitute synthesized, coordinated, and comprehensive plans for the polity; the result is the enormous growth of the Presidency. The Watergate crisis exposed the flaws of the Imperial Presidency. Congress forced one President to resign, but in a dangerously protracted process and under conditions almost certain never to recur. Congress can harass the President with investigations. The problems that governments address have so many facets, meanings, and interlocks that politicians must act on imperfect knowledge. Research may yield a better grasp of some factors, but it often reveals others hitherto unknown. Solution of the problem of political power in the United States may come through devising institutions that will encourage party government.
