The Cult of the Presidency

A few years back I purchased a book by Gene Healy, Vice President of the Cato Institute, entitled "The Cult of the Presidency." I am currently in the process of re-reading that book because it's that good. It is perhaps the single most important book I've read in regards to how I view the Executive Office. The book was written during the Bush years, so it's not an Obama bash fest like many books out now. It goes through the history of the Presidency, and in doing so calls out those who in the Bush administration pushed for a massive Executive expansion, mostly justified by John Yoo.

For those who are interested in learning more about the history of the Presidency, and the theories behind what powers the president wields, this is an excellent book likely the most well written book on the subject.

As I'm reading this book again I got to thinking about all the things the President does that are just blatantly unconstitutional. Mostly, the President's expansive war powers, which came with the stamp of approval from John Yoo in the Bush administration. Going back to the original intent of the Executive office, the nature of his authority is apart of the name, Preside. The role of the President is to enforce the laws passed by congress. We commonly hear that all three branches of government were created with checks and balances but, they are not equal. The Legislature was always intended to wield more influence than the President or the Supreme Court. Primarily because that is where the laws were made, the President just enforced them and the courts determined constitutionality.

Sadly, we have come so far from this view of the presidency it is almost impossible to go back. We as a people seem to believe that we have and should have a closer connection to the President than our own locally elected representatives who live down the road from us. There is this insanity that the President embodies the spirit of America. We have willingly elected a savior and corrupted our political system because of our own stupidity and shortsightedness.

This has caused news outlets go berserk when a natural disaster occurs and the president either does or does not go to the location to empathize with local families. Why does he need to be there? Shouldn't the people of that area be focused on restoring their lives and local agencies helping with that effort. The president shouldn't be a symbol of hope for us, that is how dictatorships begin. We freely give away our rights because we so trust this official with our well being.

To give a little perspective, during the founding era and into the 20th century (from Jefferson up to Wilson) the President did not give his State of the Union speech to congress. It was written because the precedent was that it would look like the President is trying to influence policy if he went himself. Now we have a sitting President who in his SOTU speech he openly attacks the Supreme Court. We have turned an office of enforcing the laws to the one who essentially mandates what Congress will take up that year. When congress passes a law that is credited to the President (Obamacare), you know there is corruption between the legislators and the enforcer. At that point you have to ask yourself, who does Congress work for, us or the President?

Sadly, the problem isn't a DC problem, it's our problem as a nation. We have created this powerful office. The Constitution has few and defined powers for that office, and with ambitions President's, and willing people, we have made it the most powerful branch of government. The "leader of the free world" resides in one man. He has the power to strike foreign nations without declaration, detain American citizens suspected to be terrorists and has successfully convinced the American people that massive government intervention into healthcare is a moral good. We are slowly breeding a dictatorship. We are not there, not even close, but when you look at the power that the President actually wields, the only thing holding us back is the type of person we elect, because the power is there.