Brough Dissertation Final
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ABSTRACT FROM CHADHA TO CLINTON: THE SUPREME COURT IN LEGISLATIVE PROCESS-SEPARATION OF POWERS CASES Christopher B. Brough, Ph.D. Department of Political Science Northern Illinois University, 2018 J. Mitchell Pickerill, Director For nearly fifty years the U.S. Supreme Court’s agenda virtually excluded cases involving structural-separation of powers issues, and especially those surrounding the legislative process. But in the early 1980s structural-separation of powers issues where moved back onto the Court’s agenda, with the Court striking down federal legislation in INS v. Chadha (1983) and subsequent cases Bowsher v. Synar (1986) and Clinton v. New York (1998). This research illustrates the ways elected officials benefited from the Court’s reentry into separation of powers issues, and in fact, how members of Congress and executive officials invited the Court to decide the cases. While some scholars argue that the Court was exhibiting judicial independence in this line of cases, it was really acting in the interest, and with the support, of elected elites who had a range of reasons for accepting the Court’s authority in these cases. Over time, path dependent forces reinforced the Court’s role in this issue area, and political actors now routinely defer to the Court’s role in deciding these cases and accept its decisions. While these decisions do not seem to be explained by the ideology of the justices, they do fit a broader pattern of judicialization and jurisprudential regimes theory found by law and courts scholars. NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY DE KALB, ILLINOIS AUGUST 2018 FROM CHADHA TO CLINTON: THE SUPREME COURT IN LEGISLATIVE PROCESS-SEPARATION OF POWERS CASES BY CHRISTOPHER B. BROUGH ©2018 Christopher B. Brough A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE Doctoral Director: J. Mitchell Pickerill ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work would not have been possible without the help and support of many individuals. To my dissertation committee chair and advisor, J. Mitchell Pickerill, thank you for always pushing to strengthen my research and for your constant encouragement over the last six years. You always knew when I needed a kick to get motivated. Your knowledge and expertise have had a profound influence on this dissertation and me as a scholar. I would also like to thank my entire committee for all of the constructive feedback and suggestions throughout this entire process: Artemus Ward, Scot Schraufnagel and Jasmine Farrier. Each of you helped shape this project in important ways. There are also a number of organizations and individuals who were vital to the completion of this dissertation: Vincent LoVoi, Nathan Gerth and the entire staff at the Carl Albert Center, Jody M. Brumage and the staff at the Robert C. Byrd Center, and John N. Jacob at the Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Archives. Additionally, I could not have completed this journey without the love and support of my wife, Li-Yin Liu. You did everything to make sure I only had to worry about finishing, and for that I am truly grateful and forever in your debt. It would have also been impossible to finish without the constant support of my Mom and Dad who helped me through all of the good, the bad and the difficult, and of my brother for helping me get away when I most needed it, whether that be a long hike or a concert. To my Taiwanese family, thank you for providing me a warm home in Taiwan. Damir Kovacevic, I could not imagine going through the last six years with anyone else. Gail Jacky, for all of the hours spent reading through the following pages with me. I iii think you have read this dissertation more than I have. To the Support Group, thank you for the great conversations and even better food. Last and certainly not least, Maxwell Brovacevic. You sat right by my side as I wrote every page of this dissertation and attacked anyone who came near me while my back was turned with my head buried in my computer screen. Thanks, little buddy. DEDICATION In loving memory of Nonnie TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................vii LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................ viii Chapter INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 1 1. THEORY & RESEARCH DESIGN ........................................................................................ 7 Judicialization, Judicial Authority and Judicial Decision Making .......................................... 14 Supreme Court and Separation of Powers-Legislative Process Cases ..................................... 24 Case Selection and Methods .................................................................................................. 36 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 47 2. CHADHA AND AN EMERGING PATH .............................................................................. 48 Litigation over the Legislative Veto ...................................................................................... 50 Congress and the Legislative Veto ........................................................................................ 58 Presidents and the Legislative Veto ....................................................................................... 68 Law Reviews and the Legislative Veto .................................................................................. 72 Chadha at the Judiciary ......................................................................................................... 80 Discussion ............................................................................................................................. 90 3. MR. SYNAR GOES TO COURT ......................................................................................... 96 Gramm-Rudman-Hollings and the Anticipation of Litigation ................................................ 99 Debate and Development of Gramm-Rudman-Hollings ....................................................... 100 vi Chapter Page Vote and Passage of Gramm-Rudman-Hollings ................................................................... 116 Mr. Synar Goes to Court: Gramm-Rudman is Struck Down ................................................ 120 Argument by Congressman Synar and the National Treasury Employees Union .................. 127 Argument by the United States (Executive Branch) ............................................................. 129 Argument by the Comptroller General................................................................................. 131 Argument by the Speaker and Bipartisan Leadership Group, and the Senate........................ 131 Supreme Court Decision ..................................................................................................... 133 Discussion ........................................................................................................................... 138 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 145 4. A CONTINUED PATH: CLINTON V. NEW YORK ............................................................ 147 Congressional Debate over Line-Item Veto ......................................................................... 150 Line-Item Veto Act at the Judiciary ..................................................................................... 161 Raines v. Byrd ..................................................................................................................... 165 Clinton v. New York ............................................................................................................ 168 Discussion ........................................................................................................................... 175 5. CRITICAL JUNCTURES, PATH DEPENDENCE AND THE CHADHA REGIME ........... 178 Critical Juncture, Path Dependence and Judicialization ....................................................... 178 Chadha Jurisprudential Regimes ......................................................................................... 185 Implications ........................................................................................................................ 191 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................... 195 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Legislative Veto Cases in the Federal Judiciary ..................................................................... 51 2. Justices Votes in INS v Chadha (1983) ................................................................................ 189 3. Justices Votes in Bowsher v. Synar (1986) .......................................................................... 189 4. Justices Votes in Clinton v. New York (1998) ...................................................................... 190 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1: Supreme Court separation of power cases, per decade ........................................................... 10 2: Critical juncture. ..................................................................................................................