The political climate in the United States is marked by ultra-partisanship. So it’s a good time to ask, how’s the Constitution holding up? A recent event brought together two people with a depth of political and jurisprudent experience to explore that question.
William Ruckelshaus was the first director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He also served briefly as deputy attorney general under President Nixon.
He lost that job during the infamous “Saturday Night Massacre.” Unwilling to obey Nixon’s order to fire Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox, Ruckelshaus resigned.
Bob Ferguson is Washington state’s attorney general. He came to national fame for his successful court challenge to President Trump’s travel ban last year. He is also a master chess player.
Ruckelshaus and Ferguson participated in this event titled “Constitutional Stress Test: Can the Democracy Survive the Current President?” They took questions from Larry Hubbell, director of Seattle University’s Institute of Public Service, and multi-media journalist Joni Balter at SU’s Pigott Hall on January 11. Jennie Cecil Moore recorded the event.
Listen to the full version below:
