The Failure of the Imperial Presidency

The Trump presidencies have laid bare a fact of the imperial presidency: with the president so powerful, the United States depends on an honest competent president at the head of the executive branch—the hope of a good king. This is especially important in foreign policy where a president has broad latitude, but it is also important in domestic policy where chief executive of the federal government has huge power to control how the government operates even when they stay within constitutional limits. We had an 80 year run, but it was inevitable that sooner or later someone of bad will would become president. Historically most presidents have been mediocrities; some have been truly awful. A corrupted Supreme Court and a Senate republican caucus full of cowards, incompetents, and perhaps even traitors helped.

If the United States comes out of this mess with anything like a democracy, I hope we consider governmental forms that are less vulnerable to the failings of a single individual.