e policy of
the state. Even when such change in sentiment is insistent and
long-continued, it may be unable to overcome the resistance of the more
conservative influences in the Constitution. The most superficial
examination of our political history is sufficient to show that the
practical working of our Constitution has in large measure defeated the
end of party government. Calhoun's contention that the party had
succeeded in breaking down the elaborate system of constitutional checks
on the numerical majority is not borne out by the facts.

Eleven general elections since the adoption of the Constitution have
resulted in a House of Representatives which had no political support in
any other branch of the government. During eighty-four years of our
history under the Constitution the party in the majority in the House
has not had a majority in all the other branches of the general
government, and consequently has not had the power to enforce its
policy. From 1874 to 1896--a period of twenty-two years--there were but
two years (the 51st Congress) during which the same party had a majority
in all branches of the government. But even during this brief period it
failed to control the treaty-making power since it lacked the two-thirds
majority in the Senate which the Constitution requires. In fact, there
has been no time since 1874 when any party had sufficient majority in
the Senate to give it an active control over the treaty-making power.

The more important and fundamental changes in public policy which
involve an exercise of the amending power are still more securely
placed beyond the reach of party control. Not only the power to ratify
amendments, but even the power to propose them, is effectually withheld
from the party, since it can scarcely ever command the required
two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress or a majority in both
branches of the legislature in two-thirds of the states.

Under our constitutional system a political party may have a nominal
majority in all branches of the government and yet lack the power to
enforce its policy. That branch of the government over which the party
has most control through frequent elections--viz., the House of
Representatives--is the one which has least authority, while those which
have most influence in shaping the policy of the government are less
directly subject to the penalties of party disapproval, as in the case
of the President and Senate, or entirely exempt