Slowing the Decline: How Restoring Congress’s Capacity to Compete with the Executive Branch Can Help Restore the American Republic

Aristotle is one of the most influential figures both in the realm of philosophy and political science. In one of his most well-known works, The Politics, he explores various forms of government and how they will eventually decline. It is Aristotle’s prerogative that nothing can stop the decline of a state from happening, but citizens can attempt to slow it down if they understand how to spot the symptoms. One of these symptoms includes a major concentration of power in a single ruler (known as the One) as opposed to allowing the people (the Many) to rule. This paper seeks to analyze how the concentration of power in the Executive branch and the diminishing legislative role of Congress reflects Aristotle’s warning. It argues that restoring Congress’s Constitutional role as the nation’s lawmaking authority and deliberative body is essential to slowing the decline of the American Republic.