The Left can’t sit out the 2028 Democratic primary. If AOC chooses not to run for president, Eric Blanc argues that socialists should run a working-class candidate — even an unknown one — who can inject anti-billionaire politics into the race.
IMO it’s not wise, and it is a symptom. Congress has been ceding more and more of its authority to the executive for a few decades now because it makes it easier for incumbents to avoid controversy and win reelection. The executive branch has become more powerful and is now being molded by the Unitary Executive Theory, or the “What if we had a king but used a different word” theory. It’s this idea that all executive power flows from the office of the president, so anyone not the president must either toady up or prepare to get fired. Except the fed, for some reason 🤔🤔🤔
I think some other executive departments, particularly DoJ, should have directly elected leaders and should be able to control their disbursements from Congress independently of the President. They should be a check on the President just as the President should be a check on them. I’m pretty sure that would require a constitutional amendment and I’d want someone more versed in political theory than me to describe exactly how executive authority should be divided, but as it is the US presidency is far too powerful for the country’s own good.
There absolutely is a way for a party (or rather the Congress itself) to confine a President to their role, it’s just that Congress finds it much easier to abdicate power to the President than to do their own jobs.
They don’t read or write legislation, or even show up to work half the time. They’re not interested in governing, and they certainly don’t need to be an active or competent legislative body to do their overlords’ bidding. Sitting back and letting the President order a billion more bombs for Israel is perfectly fine for them.
If Congress were a functioning body, they would impeach, legislate, and bind the Executive. Remove Secretariats, restructure offices, difine limits to power and enforce them. They are the first of the three branches for a reason. It’s their job to define the role and powers of the office of the President (and even the Courts), besides of the command of the military during war.
IMO it’s not wise, and it is a symptom. Congress has been ceding more and more of its authority to the executive for a few decades now because it makes it easier for incumbents to avoid controversy and win reelection. The executive branch has become more powerful and is now being molded by the Unitary Executive Theory, or the “What if we had a king but used a different word” theory. It’s this idea that all executive power flows from the office of the president, so anyone not the president must either toady up or prepare to get fired. Except the fed, for some reason 🤔🤔🤔
I think some other executive departments, particularly DoJ, should have directly elected leaders and should be able to control their disbursements from Congress independently of the President. They should be a check on the President just as the President should be a check on them. I’m pretty sure that would require a constitutional amendment and I’d want someone more versed in political theory than me to describe exactly how executive authority should be divided, but as it is the US presidency is far too powerful for the country’s own good.
Down with the executive. I want a PM appointed by a parliament instead.
I yapped about it too much over here but like…
If the president can do whatever he wants within the confines of his role
And there is no way for his party to hold him to account
And there isn’t even an overall party platform so we can’t even pretend there is a mandate
How is it not just choosing a new king every 4 years?
There absolutely is a way for a party (or rather the Congress itself) to confine a President to their role, it’s just that Congress finds it much easier to abdicate power to the President than to do their own jobs.
They don’t read or write legislation, or even show up to work half the time. They’re not interested in governing, and they certainly don’t need to be an active or competent legislative body to do their overlords’ bidding. Sitting back and letting the President order a billion more bombs for Israel is perfectly fine for them.
If Congress were a functioning body, they would impeach, legislate, and bind the Executive. Remove Secretariats, restructure offices, difine limits to power and enforce them. They are the first of the three branches for a reason. It’s their job to define the role and powers of the office of the President (and even the Courts), besides of the command of the military during war.
I don’t think I expressed myself well.
When I said
I was trying to be specific that I was looking at my understanding of the system as designed, from day one.