In unsure times, what do we do?
By: Issa Longstreet
In the wake of recent events by the Trump administration, experts in law and political science have faced a daunting question: Are we facing a constitutional crisis? A constitutional crisis has been defined as a “problem or conflict in government that the political constitution or other fundamental governing body of law is perceived unable to resolve.”
With President Donald Trump expanding executive power, people are asking whether we have descended into a crisis where the Constitution is not being respected.
Delta College Political Science Professor Kim Klein says that we are not quite there yet.
“I think there is potential,” she says. “We as citizens need to stay vigilant and pay attention.”
If you’ve been keeping up with recent events unfolding, there is plenty to pay attention to.
First is the sudden, yet expected, influx of aggressive political action by Trump in the last two months
On day one, he signed an order ending birthright citizenship. A judge has since blocked that and is in contention, as birthright citizenship is explicitly in the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. U.S. District Judge John Coughenour called it “blatantly unconstitutional.” This and an 1898 ruling by the Supreme Court in United States v. Wong Kim Ark further set the precedent for birthright citizenship in the United States and affirmed the illegality of Trump’s executive order.
However, Klein insists that these conversations and lawsuits are not always negative indications.
“The fact that the Constitution is being tested does not mean that it’s in crisis,” she says.
There are 46 restraining orders against the Trump administration’s recent actions. Klein insists that we aren’t in a constitutional crisis until the President takes action to put himself above a federal judge’s jurisdiction.
With the current state of the nation and world affairs, it can seem like a daunting prospect, but Delta College Political Science Professor Lisa Lawrason says that it is the responsibility of citizens to protect and uphold the democracy we live in.
“It rests on the willingness of the people to do their part,” she says.
Both professors encourage students to act however they see fit, whether it’s voting, protesting, or simply educating themselves on the matters being discussed nationwide.
“As long as we’re still in the fight, it’s not too far gone,” Klein says. “I believe in us.”
Lawrason shares a similar message, saying that, in the end, it will be up to the voters.
“There’s always been something that’s a little uncertain to me, that’s a little unsure about the future of the republic, and of course, that’s that it rests on willingness of the people to do their part,” Lawrason says.
