The Hewitt Ledger

  Why the Founders Rejected Direct Election of the President “The mode of appointment of the Chief Magistrate... should be as little connected with any plan of choosing Senators or Representatives as possible.” — Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 68 Few constitutional mechanisms provoke as much confusion—or outrage—as the Electoral College . Every four years, Americans debate whether it’s outdated, unfair, or undemocratic. Critics point to elections where a candidate won the presidency without winning the popular vote and ask, “How can this be just?” It’s a fair question—but one rooted in a modern misunderstanding of the Founders’ design . The Electoral College isn’t a relic of compromise. It’s a feature of the federal system— a deliberate safeguard against both mob rule and centralized tyranny. If you want to understand why the presidency works the way it does, you have to understand why the Electoral College was created —and why its critics often miss the point. What Is the El...

  What It Was Meant to Do—And What It Wasn’t “It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is.” — Chief Justice John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison (1803) No branch of the federal government is more misunderstood—or more mythologized—than the Supreme Court. Depending on who’s in power, some Americans see it as a last hope for justice, while others view it as nine unelected overlords deciding national policy. But neither view is entirely accurate. The truth is simpler and more structural: the Court was never meant to lead the nation. It was designed to limit it. Its job is not to make laws or enforce them—it’s to ensure that all branches of government follow the Constitution. This post explains the actual role of the Supreme Court, how it fits within the broader system of checks and balances, and what happens when it oversteps—or is ignored. What the Constitution Says (and Doesn’t Say) Article III of the Constitution outlines the federal j...

Why Government Gridlock Is a Feature, Not a Flaw “The constant aim is to divide and arrange the several offices in such a manner as that each may be a check on the other.” — James Madison, Federalist No. 51 Americans often complain that government is slow, inefficient, or “gridlocked.” That frustration is understandable—but much of it misses the point. Our system isn’t broken because it’s divided. It’s divided so it doesn’t break . The Founders didn’t build a machine for speed. They built a structure to protect liberty. That structure is called checks and balances —and it’s one of the most misunderstood features of American government. If you’ve ever wondered why the president can’t just do something, why Congress argues endlessly, or why the courts seem to intervene at inconvenient times, this post is for you. What Are Checks and Balances? Checks and balances are constitutional mechanisms that ensure no branch of government can dominate the others. They work by: Dividing power betw...