Dr. Mark Pohlmann of the Department of Political Science has published an article in The Tennessean that attempts to put the Tea Party and existing government gridlock into historical perspective. According to him, a new constitutional convention or line-item veto may be the only things to end gridlock in Washington.
Pohlmann begins the piece, “Fresh from a rebellion against the British, the Founding Fathers were in no mood to create a government vulnerable to autocratic domination. Yet the idea of 'popular rule' was novel in a world history dominated by monarchies. The Founders created plenty of checks and balances to ensure that tyrannical majorities did not impinge on individual liberties, states’ rights or the sanctity of private property.” Read more.