REAL CLEAR POLITICS
The Peaceful Transfer of Power — and Its Enemies
by Charles Lipson
January 22, 2017

We mouth the formulaic words but reflect too little on the political miracle that is the peaceful transfer of power. The enormous authority entrusted to the president shifts from someone who leaves office voluntarily, without a bullet fired, to another who assumes office by oft-repeated constitutional procedures. These powers quietly transfer from one party to another, from one set of policies and preferences to another, and often from one section of the country to another…In our constitutional democracy, the transfer of power will only remain peaceful if it is considered legitimate by nearly all our people and their representatives. Our shared sense of legitimacy has been imperiled in our last three elections. READ MORE