Presidents as Monarchs

[barryqwalsh]

David Cannadine says when Barack Obama's critics accuse him of acting like a king they're forgetting the origins of the office of President.

"From the outset, the American presidency was vested with what might be termed monarchical authority, which meant that it really was a form of elective kingship."

AUDIO
BBC Radio 4 - A Point of View Presidents as Monarchs

 

[regent]

King Jackson was our first monarch, even inspiring the conservatives to name their new party, the Whig party. Jackson is rated by historians as one of our best presidents, and is the only president to pay off the national debt.

 

[natstew]

Read Articles one two and three of the Constitution, then read the Tenth Amendment.

There's a reason the Executive Branch is covered under Article Two and not Article One.

The Founders intended the Legislative Branch to be the most powerful and it shows in the order of the first three Articles.

In things other than war or insurrections the Executive Branch has less power than the Legislative Branch. Example: The President can not impeach anyone, only Congress can. The President can not make law, only Congress can. Hell, Executive Orders are not granted the President in the Constitution.

What our Founders intended and what we now have are as different as night and day.

 

[hortysir]

Read Articles one two and three of the Constitution, then read the Tenth Amendment.

There's a reason the Executive Branch is covered under Article Two and not Article One.

The Founders intended the Legislative Branch to be the most powerful and it shows in the order of the first three Articles.

In things other than war or insurrections the Executive Branch has less power than the Legislative Branch. Example: The President can not impeach anyone, only Congress can. The President can not make law, only Congress can. Hell, Executive Orders are not granted the President in the Constitution.

What our Founders intended and what we now have are as different as night and day.

And we purposefully wanted those with titles of nobility away from elected office

 

[RandallFlagg]

Read Articles one two and three of the Constitution, then read the Tenth Amendment.

There's a reason the Executive Branch is covered under Article Two and not Article One.

The Founders intended the Legislative Branch to be the most powerful and it shows in the order of the first three Articles.

In things other than war or insurrections the Executive Branch has less power than the Legislative Branch. Example: The President can not impeach anyone, only Congress can. The President can not make law, only Congress can. Hell, Executive Orders are not granted the President in the Constitution.

What our Founders intended and what we now have are as different as night and day.

I couldn't agree more. The founders warned us against this. Now? there are, at any given time in Washington DC, tens of thousands of lawyers whose job is simple - find ways around the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Circumvent the intent and you destroy the law - legally.

 

[regent]

Seems the presidential-glory goes to those presidents that are considered strong presidents and at times have been accused of going beyond the Constitution for the good of the nation. Which of these two presidents do we hold as the better president, Lincoln or Pierce?

 

[heirtothewind]

Andrew Jackson was known as King Andrew. He did what he wanted rgardless of Supreme Court decisions.

 

[regent]

Andrew Jackson was known as King Andrew. He did what he wanted rgardless of Supreme Court decisions.

Well the Supreme Court simply decided it had the power to make those decisions regardless of the Constitution.

 

[heirtothewind]

Executive Orders are seldom invalidated if based on a statute already passed by Congress [Youngstown Sheeting v Sawyer (1952)]. Lincoln did many things of questionable constitutionality.