For several years, the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, which would bring oil from Canada to Texas, has been stuck in political debates. The Obama administration has been dragging its feet for years on a decision to move forward, so many members of government are taking actions to their own hands. A bill passed last year called H.R.3 –Northern Route Approval Act, called to approve the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline by forcing President Obama’s hand. John Locke I believe would side with the members of Congress in forcing the President to approving the pipeline. Locke’s ideas helped created our form of government by calling separation of legislative and executive powers. Base on Obama’s actions Locke would agree that this bill is needed because he is ignoring his duty. However Locke’s idea of separation of powers is different from ours, given what he wrote, there is proof that he would be slide with those wanting to force the President’s hand in this issue.
John Locke’s ideas of separation of power is a lot different from our idea. Locke believed in a limited monarch, and we clearly do not. The American government is created about 100 years after Locke, too. There is not balance of powers in Locke, but more sharing. What Locke is talking about is what is needed in the state of nature and how to place it in a society. Still, from what he writes in his book, Second Treatise of Government, one can realize that he would support forcing President Obama’s hand. One reason why is because of his support of Majority rule. President Obama has really not taken a stand on the controversial Keystone pipeline, because he would upset his base if he approves it but hurt red-state Democrats who support it. Congress support is. R...
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...believes executive power should be. The bill continues states that an “executive order or provision of law, no Presidential permit shall be required for the pipeline” to make sure the Obama administration does not make a joke of the law.
Looking over this evidence it is clear that Locke would approve of the what is Congress is trying to do. If Locke lived now, he would agree that the President should be powerful, he did lived under a monarchy, but delaying something for political reasons is wrong. With his believe in Majority rule, would be enough. There should be some divisions between the two. Locke and our idea of separations of powers are different but he would agree that certain powers should be left to those needed to carry out those actions. If one fails in doing so, like the President, the people, in this case Congress has the right to act on their own.
The Dakota Access Pipeline and the Keystone XL Pipeline are two pipeline projects that were suspended in the past. These pipelines were stopped because they could have a big impact of people and the environment. The making of these pipelines would cause a great amount of carbon pollution. Recently, President Trump signed the orders to approve the pipeline project. The projects have pros and cons, the people in favor of the pipelines think we would be able to rely less on foreign oil. The people against the pipeline believe that the pipelines would cause the release of gases into the air that could be harmful for other people.
“Urge the Senate to Stop the Risky Keystone XL Pipeline”. Letter. League of Conservation of Voters. Change.org. Web. 10 December 2013
...s on the Government’s power. It is the supreme law and any act that is inconsistent with it is null. The respondent’s argument that the Act “exceeds the authority of Congress” is a weak argument, which can be disproved by the Constitution, itself. Congress must be able to exercise stretching its powers in order to insure the safety of the economy.
In an absolute government, the people are not in a position to question the government on their decisions. Moreover the corruption in those governments can run a muck if not checked. In order to circumvent this Locke suggests creating separate powers to both pass and enforce the law. Locke was one of the first political philosophers to separate powers of the government, which was in direct difference from the absolute monarchies he was living under. According to John Locke the government should consist of a legislative branch and an executive branch (Locke 1681, 335-37). The former makes the laws while the later enforces it. He further gives prerogative power to the executive branch to make decisions must be made by the executive branch can be made by their own discretion as long as it is of the public good ((Locke 1681, 244). The separating the powers is effective because it allows for a type of checks and balances. It means that the ones passing the laws are not fully exempt from being punished by them if the need arises. Secondly because of the prerogative power of the executive branch, it theoretically can allow for the executive branch to step in and prevent any unjust laws from passing, if they choose not to enforce it. The downside of this is depended on the number of people in the community. If the community is too big, then it might be harder to
... law. No one should supersede their roles or take advantage of it, as President Bush did when he went behind the backs of Congress and proceeded with his unconstitutional tactics. Warren G. Harding, 29th President of the U.S, once said “America’s present need is not heroics but healing; not nostrums but normalcy; not revolution but restoration.” This is what America needs, a stable and able president and government to provide us with safety and protect our freedoms.
The US Government, with the backing of the American people, should authorize the pipeline that would import tar sand oil from Canada. The pipeline would generate jobs while helping to diminish foreign oil dependency, is the cleanest and safest transportation option and finally it will not harm the environment. As Mark J. Perry, PhD, MSA, Professor of Finance and Economics at the University of Michigan states “There are few more important tasks than ensuring the Keystone pipeline gets built. Obama should approve its construction, for the good of the country” (“Should
By now, many Americans have been made aware of the construction of the Keystone Pipeline XL. It has been seven years since the pipeline was first proposed by the TransCanada Corporation with the intent to “allow crude oil from Canadian oil sands to reach U.S. refineries on the Gulf Coast” (Mantel par. 2 on Chronology timeline). Some Americans are in favor of the construction of the Keystone Pipeline XL and others are strongly opposed to it. On Feb. 17, 2013, thousands of protestors gathered at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. in the hopes that President Barack Obama would reject the construction of the $53 billion oil pipeline (Snyder par. 1). The rally attracted 35,000 people making it the largest climate-change protest in U.S. history,
The argument in John Locke's Second Treaty of Government is stating that the government should not be governed by a definite family, God or precedent, instead through the society. This lifetime on Earth is bursting with choices, through our agency those choices lead to consequences. If every man has the same rights as everyone else, they could enjoy their lives as long as no one disturbed the rights of others. If one man did disrupt the privileges of others, a collective law came about through the people in addition to a judge listen to and resolve their situations. The people would need to unite and build a government. Taking the opinion of others, using personal experiences they could create a new life style. T This is how the colonists existed
In his writing Locke states that the legislature does not always have to operate. He explains that the legislature is not required to operate all the time because new laws are not required frequently, in fact too many laws can reduce the freedom enjoyed by the citizens. However, Locke states that “there should be a power always in being which should see to the execution of the laws that are made” (WJMI). This is the responsibility of the executive power which should be in charge all the time to make sure that the laws are enforced. Therefore the executive and legislative powers should be separated because one power should always be working to make sure that people follow the rules created by the other power. Locke believes that the people
On Book II, Chapter XXI Of Power in An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, John Locke argues against the Will being Free. Locke reasons that Will is a power: “This power which the mind has, thus to order the consideration of any idea, or the forbearing to consider it; or to prefer the motion of any part of the body to its rest, and vice versa in any particular instance is that which we call the will” (2.21.5). In addition, Locke claims that the exercise of directing this power in any particular action is what we call “volition or willing” (2.21.5). According to Locke, Liberty is also a power, however, this power is found “in any agent to do or forbear any particular action, according to the determination or thought of the mind” (2.21.8). After these two clear distinctions have been made, Locke argues th...
...alance of power between the President and the Congress has been shown to sway like a pendulum, conditional on key occurrences at the time, where as Justice Jackson argues at times the Presidency should be considered to be dominant, while at other times the Congress should be considered to be the dominant authority. In this perspective, it is essential that the Congress plays an important role in the foreign policy making process, since the most important feature of the U.S system is the division of powers.
This is because doing so would create a state of war in and of itself. Locke states that the correct form of civil government should be committed to the common good of the people, and defend its citizens’ rights to life, health, liberty, and personal possessions. He expects that the civil government’s legislative branch will create laws which benefit the wellbeing of its citizens, and that the executive branch will enforce laws under a social contract with the citizenry. “The first and fundamental positive law of all common-wealths is the establishing of the legislative power; as the first and fundamental natural law, which is to govern even the legislative itself, is the preservation of the society and (as far as will consist with the public good) of every person in it. ”1
As far as foreign policymaking goes, the main goal of the Government is to “speak with one voice” (p. 336) so that our nation will be seen as a united and unwavering force. This notion was put into law in 1799 by the Logan Act, which prohibited unauthorized citizens from negotiating with foreign Governments. Even with such laws in place, having one central foreign policymaking body is easier said than done. The system of checks and balances provides much stability to our national government, but it can also create a struggle between who has what power and who has the final say in matters regarding this issue. There are many individuals, departments, and agencies that retain some influence in the arena of foreign policymaking but for many reasons that will be further discussed, The President is the dominant force and ultimate decision-making resides in his hands, and his alone.
The power of the Executive branch has expanded over time to become the most authoritative division of government. In contrast to the Constitution 's fundamental designer, James Madison, who predicted the Legislative branch would dominate due to it’s power in making laws and regulating taxes/spending, the executive powers have proven to be superior and ever broadening. From the birth of the Republic, the President has sought to protect his rights and seek beyond his restriction of power. Setting the precedent as early as 1795, George Washington refused to relay documents relating to the Jay Treaty to the House of Representatives and saw his actions as a justified act of “executive prerogative.” Moreover, weaving throughout the Nineteenth century, presidents such as Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln conceived and added functions, such as the extensive use of the veto and the president’s direct and active role as Commander in Chief to their executive tool-belt. The Constitution communicates very little details regarding the President’s use of the power of veto and the role as Commander in Chief, but it was these presidents which established the major authority of the executive branch in these areas.
John Locke powerfully details the benefits of consent as a principle element of government, guaranteed by a social contract. Locke believes in the establishment of a social compact among people of a society that is unique in its ability to eliminate the state of nature. Locke feels the contract must end the state of nature agreeably because in the state of nature "every one has executive power of the law of nature"(742). This is a problem because men are then partial to their own cases and those of their friends and may become vindictive in punishments of enemies. Therefore, Locke maintains that a government must be established with the consent of all that will "restrain the partiality and violence of men"(744). People must agree to remove themselves from the punishing and judging processes and create impartiality in a government so that the true equality of men can be preserved. Without this unanimous consent to government as holder of executive power, men who attempt to establish absolute power will throw society into a state of war(745). The importance of freedom and security to man is the reason he gives consent to the government. He then protects himself from any one partial body from getting power over him.