When administration policies conflicted with congressional restrictions, officials created a secret governmental limb to independently pursue its foreign policy objectives, disregarding the spirit of the law.
"Checks and balances; limited government - the genius of our constitutional system is its recognition that no one branch of government alone could be relied on to preserve our freedoms. The great safeguard of our liberty is the totality of the constitutional system, with no one part getting the upper hand."
- Excerpt from Eric Scheiner, "Reagan Flashback: 'Checks and Balances,
Limited Government - The Genius of Our Constitutional System.'"
Limited Government - The Genius of Our Constitutional System.'"
A political disaster unraveled, nearly precipitating war with Nicaragua. When officials went unpunished, it sent a false message to the public that they are above the law. It also injured the President’s credibility.
“…In November 1986, the Iran-Contra affair broke into the news. That same month, Reagan was on television denying that there had been any trading of arms for hostages, but the damage was done. His ratings plummeted from 63% in late October to 47% in early December, and stayed relatively low throughout 1987."
- Statistics from Lydia Saad, Frank Newport, and Jeffrey M. Jones from The Gallup Poll.
Thus, this scandal demonstrates that governmental checks and balances must always be upheld by all branches in a constitutional democracy.
"The constitutionally mandated relationship between the Executive and Legislative Branches of this Nation has stood the test of time. It has survived the shock of civil war, outlasted the mightiest monarchies and dictatorships, and seen us successfully through the turbulence of world wars. There is no reason this same carefully calibrated system could not have guided us through the difficult choices we faced in Central America and Iran."
- Senator Inouye's Opening Statement from Hearings on Iran-Contra Affairs (1987).
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