“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
when the framework for our country was created, the men making the most important decisions had no reference point. as they drafted our constitution, they felt around in the dark for solutions to problems they’d encountered in the past, and others they could only imagine.
who would hold the power, and how would they get it?
frightened by the idea of another monarchy, and equally terrified of direct democracy, the framers divvied up the power into three branches-- legislative (the power to pass laws), executive (the power to administer laws), and judicial (the power to interpret and enforce laws) --and settled on a system which would become the electoral college.
the president would be elected by the majority vote of combined state electors- representatives of us, the electorate -rather than by the popular vote. then, the three branches would keep each other in check.
once elected, the president:
i. becomes head of the executive branch ii. becomes commander-in-chief of armed forces iii. communicates with all executive agencies iv. can grant pardons for federal crimes (except impeachment) v. can, with senate approval, make treaties with other countries vi. can, with senate approval, appoint department heads, ambassadors, judges, etc. vii. must address congress as to the state of the union viii. can call the house and the senate together for special sessions ix. will receive foreign ambassadors and public representatives x. executes all laws xi. instructs all federal officers the president cannot (on their own): i. declare ware ii. make or interpret laws iii. allocate federal funds iv. make appointments
so we must make sure there are representatives reflecting the actual wants of america in supreme court positions, in the house, and in senate.
do you think it’s time to make a change to the process of election, the requirements for, or the responsibilities of the POTUS? what else would better serve a modern america?
