The Electoral College was created to help simplify the process of electing a president. Marc Schulman, an expert in American History said, “The first reason that the founders created the Electoral College is hard to understand today. The founding fathers were afraid of direct election to the Presidency. They feared a tyrant could manipulate public opinion and come to power” (1). When the founding fathers of the Constitution tried to think of a way to elect a president, many different ideas were considered.
It also means that members of Congress are not elected on a joint mandate as members of a prospective government, as would be the case in a parliamentary system, but to represent the interests of their districts and states, and on a separate mandate from the president. However it can be argued that this hinders the system as the president only has limited influence over Congress, and this creates the potential for gridlock and contributes to the weakening of parties. So if the president is a different party than Congress he has hardly any power which is concerning considering the president is head of state and should therefore have the most power. On the other hand it can be seen as a positive, since legislation is the product of compromise and consensus and it is therefore better founded than, for example, legislation whipped through the House of Commons. To conclude it helps the system in a way that it stops there being a dominance of one person or party which is good in a way that the parties have to find compromised and there want me dictatorship.
Also they have the sole right to undermine the president in the situation that they disagree with a bill or law he is trying to pass, in other words, declare it unconstitutional. The budget, now more than ever, is another very important responsibility of congress; I say that because the economy is in near crisis and congress must do its job and decide how much to spend on what in order to fix the current mortgage slum. Though they are not confined to deciding economic budget disputes, they must also decide how much can be spent on war expenses. Foreign policy is equally if not more important than the two previous roles of congress, for congress alone has the last say in a declaration of war and whether or not it goes through. While the president is in command of the military, he cannot legally go to war with another country without permission in the form of a vote from congress.
Gridlock occurs when the branches of government scrutinise each other’s action to such a point where neither can pass any form of legislation, and the government therefore becomes less able to perform its duties, therefore leading to a less effective government. For example during Obamas presidency he had struggled with the majority of republican opposition in congress, and therefore had trouble to pass any major legislation such as immigration reform, jobs bill, gun control initiatives and etc. On the other hand, others may argue that the government is not ineffective because of the constitution as the checks and balances system do in fact work, as a way to prevent an overly centralised and powerful form of government, which may not stay accountable to the people as much as it does to large corporations who fund them for re-elections and etc.
Hamilton was not opposed to cast aspersions against Burr, and was able to sway the majority of the House of Representatives to vote Jefferson into the highest office in the nation. Burr was infuriated with the actions of Hamilton. However, as the new Vice-President, he would have to bide his time to seek revenge. As John Adams had realized, Burr was soon put-off with the uselessness of the position of the Vice President. As Vice-President, Burr held no real powers, and those powers which he had influence over were only those which Jefferson bestowed upon him.
Extra credit: Movie “W” President George. W. Bush left an unforgettable mark in American history with Iraq war and a burden of debt after ending his government career. American majority remembered “W” as the one who caused all the problems for United States in the present. However, has anyone considered the reasons why he could win the election to become President since United States is a Democrat country- a country of people, for people, and by people? President is supposed to be the one who make decisions, but he could not just do everything by himself since the United States’ political systems is known as “separation of powers” and is also known as “check and balance.” Then should people think they have become bias when they talk about “W” as the source of all problems during the time?
Jefferson believed in a strict view of the constitution while he was an advisor. When he became president, his view changed. He supported a more loose view of the document in accordance with his policies. In order for the Constitution to be understood, the chaos around the time it was written must be first understood. Yet that chaos in not the same as now, therefore the constitution must be interpreted loosely in a way that it fits society nowadays.
However, Parliament is sovereign and civil rights and liberties have been put suspended but only in the interests of law and order or national security. Unlike many other democracies, the government retains control over rights and freedoms of citizens. Democracy can lead to the abuse of power and there are fears that if those who govern are left to their own devices, they may claim substantial amounts of power and begin to abuse their position. By making governments accountable to the people, this can be prevented. Governments must submit themselves regularly to re-election and by guaranteeing that they are controlled by elected representatives, the people can feel safe from the corruption of power.
[What is the opposite of freedom? They thought Congress/Speaker of House would dominate] - Section 2 & 3 deal with the House and Senate respectively - Section 8 = most important passage in Article 1 (*Third one down) - 17 short paragraphs about what Congress may do: “power to lay and collect taxes,” declare war, regulate interstate commerce, coin money and raise an army. - Final paragraph known as the necessary and proper clause [Allowed Congress to expand their power] - Section 9 lists the things Congress may not do - Habeas Corpus – Gov’t can’t hold prisoners without charging them with a crime. - No title of nobility can be granted. Article II: President [Article that has been stretched out.
The founding father’s were able to give the people a democratic way of electing leaders, while still having the a few of the people making important decisions in the peoples best interest. During the time of the revolution people were sick of the British parliament and felt as though the were not getting a fair and equal share in the decisions pertaining to them. Hence the phrase taxation without representation was coined. When America won the revolution many concerns and issues cropped up with the declaration of independence, it held very small amounts of power. Paying off debuts of the revolution became a choice that most states opted out on because their was no force behind the request.