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Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times

US Politics

US Politics

Hammer: I'm glad Trump and the courts are squaring up. We're overdue for a civics lesson

Los Angeles Times
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Julian Zelizer : We are in the throes of a grand separation-of-powers standoff that will serve as an edifying civics lesson.

Zelizer says President Trump has channeled the spirit of the Federalist No. 70 , published in 1788 , in which Alexander Hamilton argued that only a unitary executive can govern with “decision, activity, secrecy, and despatch’s” Zelizer writes.

He says lower-court judges have issued many such injunctions against the new Trump administration's executive orders.

Congress has nearly limitless tools at its disposal to rein in an overweening judiciary.

Congress could file articles of impeachment against wayward judges, dissolve entire judgeships or strip lower-court judges of jurisdiction over certain types of cases.

If someone in the administration were to be found in contempt by a federal judge, Trump could simply issue a pardon.