[Infowarrior] - Poll: Public opposes increased presidential power

[Richard Forno]

Poll: Public opposes increased presidential power

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080915/ap_on_go_ot/ap_national_constitution_center_poll&printer=1;_ylt=Amyk7kBnApEgE_MzU35Offh2wPIE

By MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press Writer
Mon Sep 15, 6:37 AM ET

Americans strongly oppose giving the president more power at the  
expense of Congress or the courts, even to enhance national security  
or the economy, according to a new poll.

The Associated Press-National Constitution Center poll of views on the  
Constitution found people wary of governmental authority after years  
of controversy over the Bush administration's expansion of executive  
power, and especially skeptical of increasing the president's powers.

"There is clearly a concern about executive power and the balance of  
power that comes out in a couple of different ways," said Joseph  
Torsella, president of the Philadelphia-based organization. The  
nonpartisan center is dedicated to educating the public about the  
Constitution.

Torsella said he believes the polls reflect long-standing skepticism  
of presidential power. "I think it's a basic chord in the American  
song and it gets louder and stronger depending on what's happening in  
the headlines," he said.

The survey also found overwhelming opposition to the government's  
power to take private property for redevelopment and to amending the  
Constitution to allow foreign-born citizens to be president. Americans  
are divided over government recognition of gay marriage, but younger  
people are far more likely to support it.

President Bush and Congress are at record low approval ratings in  
recent polls, with Congress even less popular than the president. But  
in the new poll, the public is more reluctant to expand the  
president's powers than those of Congress.

Two-thirds of Americans oppose altering the balance of power among the  
three branches of government to strengthen the presidency, even when  
they thought that doing so would improve the economy or national  
security. People were more evenly split over giving Congress more  
power in the same circumstances.

"The Constitution sets up three branches of government and to increase  
the power of one at the expense of the others endangers the  
fundamental structure," said poll participant James Crowder, 74, of  
Cockeysville, Md., a Baltimore suburb. "This current president and his  
vice president have distorted the office of president so much that it  
will take an enormous amount of time, if ever, for us to recover from  
that." Crowder is a Democrat and a retired Episcopal priest.

In one area, the poll found Americans clearly on Congress' side. They  
said Congress should have the power to require senior presidential  
aides to testify before House and Senate committees — a topic  
currently wending its way through the courts. The administration is  
trying to prevent former White House counsel Harriet Miers from  
testifying about the firing of nine U.S. attorneys.

The government's power to take private property for redevelopment had  
little support in the poll, not even when owners are paid a fair price  
and the project creates local jobs.

Participants said they consider private property rights conferred by  
the Constitution as important as freedom of speech and religion.

The Fifth Amendment allows the government to seize property for public  
use with just compensation.

In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that governments may seize  
people's homes and businesses — even against their will — for private  
economic development when there is a corresponding public purpose of  
bringing more jobs and tax revenue.

In the new poll of people's views on the Constitution, 75 percent  
disagreed. Opposition to the government power known as eminent domain  
was as strong among liberals as conservatives.

Cities, backed by some liberals, generally see the power to seize  
private property as an important tool for urban renewal projects  
crucial to revitalizing cities.

Many conservatives — particularly in the West — have called the high  
court decision a dangerous interpretation of the Constitution that  
would lead to abuse of individual rights.

Since the ruling, 39 states have enacted legislation or passed ballot  
measures restricting the government's power to take property,  
according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The poll also found a split on whether governments should recognize  
gay marriage. But a majority said same-sex couples should be entitled  
to the same benefits as married, heterosexual couples.

The answers to these questions revealed a sharp generational split.  
More than two-thirds of people under 35 favor recognition of gay  
marriage, compared with less than 40 percent of those 35 and older.

Majorities also favor following the rule of law, even if that  
sometimes comes at the expense of short-term public safety  
considerations and protecting the rights of everyone in the face of  
majority opposition.

The public broadly supports government aid to religious organizations  
for social service programs. But that support drops sharply when  
organizations also promote their religious beliefs while providing  
help to the homeless and other social services.

The AP-National Constitution Center poll involved telephone interviews  
with 1,000 adults nationwide. The survey was conducted Aug. 22-29 by  
Abt SRBI Inc. and had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.1  
percentage points.