How Congress flunked basic Schoolhouse Rock lesson
(By J. Scott Applewhite/AP )
With the federal government shut downbecause Congress failed to fund it, it seems reasonable to ask just how far astray our lawmakers have gone from doing what school children learn as being its basic job. In this post, Stuart Kasdin, assistant professor of public policy and public administration at George Washington University’s Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, explains.
By Stuart Kasdin
Does routine exposure to violent music lyrics or video games desensitize people to the underlying brutality of their contents? As we get accustomed to indecency are we more accommodating to more extreme forms of inappropriate behavior? We can see a test of these questions going on now in Congress.
One of Congress’ primary Constitutional responsibilities is the power of the purse. Accordingly, Schoolhouse Rock taught children that Congress completes the regular annual appropriation bills before the start of the fiscal year.
These appropriation bills are detailed: they provide specific funding for each line item across all government programs, along with guidance and instructions, on program implementation and execution, some of which is excessively controlling and micro-