
Presidents’ Day Weekend is a good time to think about the sorry state of Congress.
That’s true in part because the whole notion of Presidents’ Day sheds a little light on our distorted understanding of the character of our constitutional system. Strictly speaking, there is no such thing as Presidents’ Day. By law, the third Monday in February is a federal holiday called “Washington’s Birthday.” We have gradually and informally turned it into a broader celebration of our government’s chief executive as we have turned almost everything else about our politics into such a celebration of the second branch. This is …
Something to Consider
If you enjoyed this article, we have a proposition for you: Join NRPLUS. Members get all of our content (including the magazine), no paywalls or content meters, an advertising-minimal experience, and unique access to our writers and editors (through conference calls, social media groups, and more). And importantly, NRPLUS members help keep NR going.