Is American Democracy Broken?
The Inquiry
BBC
4.6 • 1.7K Ratings
🗓️ 30 December 2014
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In November President Obama stepped onto a plush red carpet at the end of a White House corridor. “My fellow Americans,” he said, “tonight I want to talk to you about immigration.” He promised to bring change through executive action. “And to those members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better,” he said, “or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer - pass a bill.”
That was a dig at his Republican opponents who control the House of Representatives. They failed to pass a bill last year to reform immigration. But that night, after Mr Obama finished speaking, the Republican leader in the House had his own harsh words for the president: “That’s just not how our democracy works,” he said, “the president has said before that he’s not king. And he’s not an emperor. But he’s sure acting like one."
With Republicans now in control of both the House and the Senate, the risk of continued political paralysis in Washington is very real. Many Americans are angry; turnout at the recent mid-term elections hit a 72-year low. Is American democracy broken?
(Photo: American Flag. BBC copyright)
Transcript
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| 0:41.0 | A weekly program, our job is to add in-depth analysis to one big question from the news. |
| 0:47.2 | We hope you like it. |
| 0:49.4 | BBC World Service. |
| 0:51.3 | This is Tessard Unlot with the inquiry. This week with President Obama threatening to bypass Congress to get his agenda through. |
| 0:57.0 | This week with President Obama threatening to bypass Congress to get his agenda through, we ask, |
| 1:06.7 | is American democracy broken? On the evening of November the 20th, President Obama stepped onto a plush red carpet |
| 1:18.8 | at the end of a White House corridor. |
| 1:21.2 | My fellow Americans. |
| 1:23.4 | Tonight I'd like to talk with you about immigration. |
| 1:27.6 | He talked for 15 minutes, admitting that the system he vowed to fix as a candidate almost six years ago |
| 1:34.8 | remains broken. With time running out on his presidency he promised to bring |
| 1:40.1 | change through executive action. |
| 1:43.2 | To those members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better, |
| 1:48.5 | or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer. Pass a bill. A dig at his |
| 1:57.1 | Republican critics who control the House of Representatives. They failed to pass a |
... |
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