government authority

I'm starting school again, this semester just going half time, and I'm taking two law classes. One is a general administrative law class (law and public affairs) and one is about election law.

The general law class has been fascinating so far, because I've already learned more about how government operates than I did in my entire public management class. Part of the reason for that, I think, is that government is essentially about authority...who has it, and where does it come from, which means that government is essentially about law. In other words, there isn't really a strict line between law and policy, or between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government.

I find this question of authority fascinating for some reason. I'm not sure why. I guess because I always find myself asking, "do they really have the power to do that?" This is particularly relevant these days in light of the push for greater executive branch authority by W and other Presidents. So, I always find myself asking, what exactly does the President do? And what can he (or she) do? It turns out to be a pretty complex set of questions.

Higher Prices = More Supply

The first of what I expect will be many similar announcements:

The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the region where the well is
located could become the nation's biggest new domestic source of oil since the
discovery of Alaska's North Slope more than a generation ago.
The Journal
said Chevron and Devon officials estimate that recent discoveries in the Gulf of
Mexico's lower-tertiary formations hold up to 15 billion barrels' worth of oil
and gas reserves, a total that would boost the nation's current reserves by 50
percent.

But by all means, windfall taxes must be what’s best for consumers since peak oil is surely upon us.