One man should not be allowed to destroy the United States. The presidency has too much

[RKP5637]

power. The framers never planed/thought of someone like Trump coming along.

[kentuck]

1. They definitely did not want a king...

but they thought the country needed a leader, especially a commander-in-chief, to make decisions, in times of war. But they mostly thought the power should be with the people and the people's representatives, never with the President. They envisioned a weak executive, from what I have read.

[RKP5637]

10. Yep, and congress is woefully failing to handle this guy! n/t

[Lee-Lee]

2. Your sounding like a libertarian

And that's a dangerous path to go down.

If you want strong government that does things for the people there has to be a lot of power vested in the executive to make that happen. All those Federal agencies that make things happen fall under the executive and are an exercise of executive power.

[kentuck]

6. I disagree.

with your premise.

[Lee-Lee]

14. How can you have a strong government that provides for its people

Without a strong executive/central authority you cannot have a strong government.

EPA, HUD, HHS, Agriculture, Commerce, Interior, Justice, Labor, Transportation, VA , Treasury are all executive level branches and functions that provide services to the people either directly or indirectly by providing infrastructure or regulatory oversight of pretty much everything and anything that touches our life.

If you believe in government being a power for goodnin people's lives, these agencies all need to be strong. That means that by default you need a strong a powerful executive branch because they are part of it. Every bit of authority or influence or power any of these agencies is given is an increase in power for the executive.

That's what it is. There is no model that is workable for a government that provides for its citizens to the level we desire that doesn't rely upon a strong central authority or executive branch to manage it. You can't put these agencies on outpilot with no oversight. Congress can't manage the day to day actions of agencies like this.

You want strong government? That is part of it.

The other truth that people don't like is that none of that can exist without strong police power backing it up also. Any law that isn't backed up by a representative of government authorized to use force to ensure compliance isn't a law, it's a suggestion. Every law must be backed up by the government ability to use force. Even the things you never think of. You want housing vouchers for low income families? First you need money, that means taxation and taxation must be backed by people willing to use force. Then you need compliance with the laws mandating the rules for them, that means agents of the government authorized to use force to ensure compliance and prevent or arrest for fraud. Then you need safe homes that means building codes, while the inspectors don't carry guns if you ignore them and keep working the next people to show up will. Then you need Rental standards, once again the first lien enforcement may not carry guns but when you ignore them the next ones will.

[zipplewrath]

20. Bit of a false dichotomy

There is what we have now, and a weak executive, and a lot in between. There are areas where the executive has too much power these days. That doesn't mean all areas. The war powers act has been ignored for decades and that should change. The congress has ceded too much power to the executive branch through the regulatory powers. Instead of outlining how departments should operate, they leave it up to the departments and only try to modify it in a "willy nilly" fashion that ends up with an odd hybrid of results. Alternately, the power of the purse has been abused. This "debt limit" crap should stop. If congress authorizes spending, the executive branch should be authorized to pay the bills. Also, congress has a duty to vote on presidential appointments. All presidential appointments. If congress doesn't want to approve a candidate, take a vote and don't approve them. Too many judicial appointments have gone empty for too long. If you want to allow filibuster of candidates, fine, but have the vote and move on.

If there was one change I could make to the congressional rules it would be this. Each body should be able to force a vote on a bill, or at the very least "bring it to the floor" with something a tad less than a majority (40%?). This unofficial rule that "a majority of the majority" must pass all legislation brings the very gridlock that we have today. If you can get 40% of the majority and 20% of the minority to pass something, so be it. If you have such an overwhelming majority that it doesn't matter, so be it. If you have a slimmer majority and members wanna pass something with a mixed majority, then either offer something your majority WILL pass, or allow the majority of the representatives of the people pass SOMETHING.

[RKP5637]

9. No, but congress is woefully failing to handle this guy! n/t

[AJT]

3. The founders did address the idea of someone needing to be removed from office,

impeachment. The founders didn't think that the members of an entire party would be so void of morality that they would shirk their responsibility to the American people to hold on to power and end democracy in favor of fascism.

[RKP5637]

5. That, is the major problem!!!! n/t

[workinclasszero]

4. You cannot have a democracy with a uninformed ignorant public

Most of whom do not vote at all even in their own self interest.

Fox news and hate radio run 24/7/365 to keep lots of people who do bother to vote uninformed and ignorant.

And now FB and other social media on the internet are awash with fake news most of it with a Russian origin which IMO is a new form of war in which the USA has totally surrendered to.

The only form of government for the lazy and ignorant is a totalitarian dictatorship of some kind which is where America is moving with frighting speed.

Trump and the republican party complete the ugly picture of the fate of American freedom and democracy. They are burying it daily.

[RKP5637]

7. Definitely, and congress is complicit, compliant and enabling him to continue down this

treacherous path

[workinclasszero]

15. Yup 100%

The republican party controls it all. They have sold out freedom and democracy in favor of a theocratic dictatorship and their own sharia laws.

SCOTUS gave the 1% and big business free rein to buy our democracy and destroy it.

The koch bros are kings.

[Phoenix61]

13. So very, very true

I graduated high-school in 1979. My history teacher said that people didn't like the activism of the 60's but that the apathy of the 70's terrified him. I can only imagine what he would think about what happened next. It's sad that being politically informed and engaged has come to be seen as not cool. We need a major add campaign with a jingle that buries itself in your brain, think "Where's the beef" to promote political activism. Maybe something like school-house rock ads but updated.

[D_Master81]

8. Its not just Trump

I hate to defend the Donald, but we have been giving the Pres more and more power over the past several decades. It used to be Congress declared war before military action was approved, we havent done that in 70 yrs. Presidents have more and more been using executive orders to pass through items they want done. It helps to move legislation when congress stalls, but can easily be overturned if the next Pres doesnt agree.

[RKP5637]

11. Yep, it basically makes it a roller coaster of a government! n/t

[kentuck]

12. Because if they can pass the buck to the President to make all the tough decisions...

It makes it easier for them to stay in power.

[dembotoz]

16. gop felt the same way about obama

be careful what you change

[bdamomma]

17. Trump

is playing his base, white supremacists racist bigots all of them. Sessions is a jerk too.

[sarisataka]

18. Would you have said

The Presidency has too much power a year ago?

Limits to power will apply regardless of which party holds the office.

Congress needs to stop abidicating their responsibility

[RKP5637]

19. Exactly what needs to be done! "Congress needs to stop abidicating their responsibility" n/t