In an emergency

The nasty guy seems to have pulled away from threatening to use emergency powers to get his wall built. But while that was an active threat Mark Sumner of Daily Kos discussed where that power came from. Yeah, there is an actual National Emergency Act that’s been around for a while. But Sumner talks about where the idea came from. And it came from Rome about 2500 years ago. The Roman Senate instituted a lot of checks and balances to preserve their democracy. But, they recognized there were times, such as when an army was approaching, that the gears of democracy turned too slowly.

So Rome created an emergency act, to be used for military reasons. The act was first invoked in 458 BC when two armies advanced on Roman towns and the Roman armies in the area ended up surrounded. Rome gave power to Lucius Quinticus Cincinnatus. He gathered up some troops, defeated the attackers, went back to Rome, … and relinquished the emergency power. He kept it not a moment longer than he needed it.

George Washington is called the American Cincinnatus because of two events. After the Revolutionary War, he chose not to leverage his military leadership and popularity. Instead he turned in his sword and returned to Mount Vernon. After he served two terms as president, he refused a third, though many urged him to run again. Washington kept the power no longer than he needed to.

That’s the proper use of emergency power.