Bending Branches
It is axiomatic that the terror attacks of 9/11 fundamentally altered
the balance of power between the three branches of government. For
nearly three years following the assault, while the death and
destruction was freshest in the minds of those who lived through it, and
while al-Qaeda posed its greatest threat to national security, Congress
eagerly ceded vast power and authority to the executive branch. The
judiciary almost without exception bowed to the wishes
of administration officials and their functionaries. And President
George W. Bush successfully convinced a wounded and angry American
populace that a different kind of war required new and different kinds
of war powers for the executive branch. This period lasted 1,031 days,
from September 11, 2001, until June 28, 2004. Let's call it the Age of
Fear.
Bending Branches
Bending Branches
Bending Branches
Bending Branches
Bending Branches
Bending Branches
Bending Branches
Bending Branches
