The United States is a democratic state. In fact, the governance of the country is highly influenced by the rule of law as stated in the constitution. As such, the government is made up of three arms, including the executive, the judiciary, and the legislature. The president heads the executive, and it is considered influential regarding decision making on economic, political, and international issues. The rationale of this research paper is to discuss the powers of the president, mode of election and replacement, and the role he/she should play in the contemporary world.
The president has the powers as the head of government and the state which are vested in the Constitution to assist him/her in executing the noble duties. First, the president is the Commander in Chief, therefore, has the powers to control the armed forces, including the army, the navy, the police, and militia in the states (Fisher 386). In consultation with the Senate and the Security Council, the president can declare war. Additionally, depending on the state of security in the country or a particular region, the commander can declare a state of emergency. In other words, the leader has the duty to ensure that there is internal stability, and the external threats are dealt with forthwith before affecting the livelihood or led to the loss of life to the Americans.
Secondly, the president has the treaty power. He/she has the authority to negotiate and sign agreements on matters of interest to other countries (Fisher 64). However, the agreements should be of the general good of the American people; hence, the head of state is required to avoid conflict of interest. In the bid to avoid treaties that are not suitable or beneficial to the people, the constitution provides for Senate ratification. In fact, a two-thirds endorsement is required for such agreements to come into effect.
Additionally, the President has the appointment power. He/she selects people to take up a wide range of state offices. Most prominent selections include the ambassadors, Supreme Court judges, and cabinet secretaries (Fisher 58). Nevertheless, most of the appointments are subject to confirmation by the Senate. In essence, the ratification is advocated for to ensure that the individuals are fit to serve in the office and that no integrity issues would affect their performance.
Besides, the Constitution vests legislative powers to the president. In this regards, the duties are exercised in two ways. First, the leader outlines the administrative and legislative agenda during the state of the Union address held yearly in January to the joint session of the Congress (Fisher 58). The legislature put into consideration the raised agendas to pass corresponding laws during the subsequent sessions. Secondly, the head of government has the veto power to reject a bill from the Congress and call for an amendment. Upon rejecting a bill, the Congress requires a two-thirds vote. Since it is not easy to achieve the veto override, the president’s recommendations are considerably incorporated.
In the United States, the president, and the vice-president are elected by the people though not directly. In this regard, each state is given the opportunity to appoint the electors who would vote to determine who would be the president and the vice president. The electors per state are equal to the number of senators and congress members entitled to the particular state. Therefore, the voters should not include senators or representatives or any person holding a trust office or earning profits from the United States. Under those premises, the Congress has the power to determine the time of identifying the electors as well as the voting date.
The selected electors meet in their respective state and vote through the ballot to elect the president and the vice president. In this regard, the persons voted for the president and the vice president should not be from the same state. The votes from each Electoral College are counted and clarified, signed and transmitted under seal to the president of the senator (Belenky 52). Consequently, the Senate counts the votes and certifies to determine that the individuals are taking over the leadership. In the case that none of the candidates wins the majority votes, the House of Representatives chooses the president from among the first three in terms of votes cast.
Apart from the choice through the ballot, an individual can be a president of the United States through succession. Therefore, a president can cease from being in office due to death, impeachment, resignation, or through incapacitation. The constitution provides that the vice-president should take over the leadership in case any of such incidents arises. On other occasions, the Vice President may not be in a position to serve as the president or in case he/she refuses to take over the position. In this case, the law provides that the speaker of the house, president of the Senate, secretary of states, and the secretary of states as the potential individuals who would take over in that sequence. However, the list is endless to avoid taking chances and leaving the country in a leadership vacuum.
The process of choosing and replacing the president in the country is advantageous in two ways. First, the indirect election through the Electoral College voting is time and resource saving. In fact, the popular vote/direct voting would involve many people making it hard to verify and certify the votes as cast. Secondly, the succession or the replacement of the head of state due to death, resignation, impeachment, or incapacitation removes the need to undergo fresh elections. Therefore, the country is in a position to move forward within a reasonable time after the elected president ceases from being in power. Thirdly, the election through the electoral colleges reduces the threat of ethnic and racial based politics as a potential leader should seek the support across the country (Belenky 11). Consequently, it becomes possible even for individuals from the minority to have chances of becoming the Head of State. However, electing the president indirectly may reduce the powers of the Americans in an attempt to have the president through the majority votes. Additionally, the president elected can be subjected to political wrangles plotted by the vice-president to have him removed from office to pave the way for succession. In other cases, unfaithful and power hungrier vice-president can plot for the assassination of the sitting president to take power as per the law. Therefore, the acting president would be against the will of the people; hence, jeopardizing democracy.
The American constitution allows for a maximum of two presidential terms of four years each. In other words, a president can only serve for a maximum of eight years. Nevertheless, the term limit is considered as democratic restriction as the people are denied the opportunity to continue enjoying the good leadership after a sitting president exhausts his/her eight years in office. Nevertheless, my opinion is that restriction should be upheld because of the potential benefits. First, the term limit enables the people to get rid of a non-performing president. For example, if the length of a term is not limited, it implies that the president can only leave office at his/her discretion (Korzi 2). Secondly, in case the number of terms is not known, a president can apply non-constitutional methods such as bribing the electors to remain in power for long. Thirdly, the unlimited term would potentially lead to political fatigue and instability as other leaders would try to take over from the incumbent leader. In addition, there would be a possibility of military coups that would destabilize the economic and political strengths of the country. Lastly, the current competition as the sitting president try to make positive changes to the people and build on their legacy within the limited time would be significantly lower. Indeed, a president who sees the possibility of staying in power for the unlimited terms is likely to have a lower motivation and determination. Such a leader would concentrate on ensuring that he/she is re-elected rather than on policy and development thresholds. As a result, an individual can stay in power, a situation that would deny the young, energetic, and better leaders to take over the leadership.
The United States is the world superpower regarding economic and military strength. Being the president of such a country implies that one can influence the world in various ways. As the commander in chief, he/she can assist in bringing stability to other countries through the UN approved missions. In particular, the experienced, highly trained personnel, and the modernized equipment can help in bringing peace in other nations. For example, when al-Qaeda controlled Afghanistan and launched terror attacks in other countries, including the United States, President Bush declared war and sent the troops to stabilize the country and support the rule of law. Besides, the president can sign treaties involving two or more countries to assist in stabilizing the world. For example, when Iran was accused of making nuclear weapons, President Obama advocated for a UN-negotiated deal to have the country stop the activities. As such, the efforts have assisted in assuring the world of a safer place free from the threat of mass destruction. Apart from the military and political influence, the United States’ president can use his/her powers to help other countries faced with a humanitarian crisis. For instance, when the deadly earthquakes affected Haiti, President Obama committed resources and personnel to assist the Haitians to face the aftermath challenges.
As it is palpable from the discussion, the American presidency is an immensely fundamental constitutional office. An individual serving in the office is elected indirectly through the electoral colleges to a four-year term in office. In addition, the presidency can also be acquired through the succession when an elected head of state ceases from being a president. Notably, the aspect of electing or replacing a president assures the people of a continuous leadership that enable the country to remain politically stable. As the representative of the people and the head of the state, the president can act on behalf of the American people in signing treaties, making appointments, and participate in a legislative process.
Works Cited
Belenky, Alexander S. Understanding the Fundamentals of the U.S. Presidential Election System. Heidelberg: Springer, 2012. Print.
Belenky, Alexander S. Who Will Be the Next President? A Guide to the U.s. Presidential Election System. Berlin: Springer, 2013. Internet Resource.
Fisher, Louis. The Law of the Executive Branch: Presidential Power. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press. 2014. Print.
Korzi, Michael J. Presidential Term Limits in American History: Power, Principles & Politics. College Station: Texas A & M University Press, 2011. Print.
Order an Essay Now & Get These Features For Free:
Turnitin Report
Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
