Another Presidency concluded (i.e., Joe Biden), another disaster (Correctly assessing President Joe Biden)! So disappointing (James Carville says nobody wants to hear from Biden anymore), yet so predictable (History 2.0 – China’s Comeback vs. America’s Decline).
Why is that?
Simply put, it is the American Presidency, stupid!
In other words, given the definition of the American Presidency, we are bound to have bad Presidents one after another. So, it is time to change it by redefining it!
1. Introduction
The American Presidency matters, and its competency matters.
In today’s world, with enough nuclear weapons to blow up the Earth several times over, the American Presidency matters not only to America but also to the world.
Unfortunately, over the past five decades, at least, there have been too few good American Presidents but far too many bad ones.
While great American Presidents have often been the products of both persona and timing, it is becoming increasingly apparent that “it’s the American Presidency, stupid!”
It has been getting worse and worse over time, with the worst example by 2020 being the 2020 Presidential election: The Democratic Party came up with three very old men (i.e., Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Michael Bloomberg) as the front runners against Donald Trump, the 74-year-old sitting President. It was so much like the USSR in the 1970s-1980s (Aging leaders: the USA vs. the USSR)!
The 2024 election was even worse: Donald Trump (78) vs. Joe Biden, the 82-year-old sitting President before Kamala Harris replaced him via selection (vs. election)!
2. American Presidency: an overview
America was built as a republic by heavily copying the Roman Republic 2,000 years ago. One copied item is the three-branch structure of the government to share power (Where did the US Constitution come from?).
Until recently, this structure worked out well for America, although American political history is full of stories of power struggles among the three branches, especially between the Legislative and Executive branches. Simply put, a strong President has resulted in a weaker Congress, while a weak President has resulted in a more assertive Congress.
To keep it simple, let us divide American political history regarding the American Presidency into two periods as follows:
- 1789–1945
- 1945–Present.
To briefly highlight each …
2.1 1789–1945
The image below tells it all: the four most memorialized American Presidents.
After the two famous Founding Fathers (i.e., George Washington and Thomas Jefferson), America had two great Presidents as follows:
- Abraham Lincoln frequently marginalized Congress, using the war (i.e., the American Civil War) as an excuse. For example, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation as an executive order without Congressional approval.
- Theodore Roosevelt: The 26th President ruled mainly by executive orders (List of United States federal executive orders), issuing 1,081 of them, which is almost as many as all his 25 predecessors did combined (1,262).
Overall, however, great Presidents were few and far between.
2.2 1945–Present
After WWII, America became a virtual economic monopoly. It has been such a smooth ride that America can afford anything and everything, including many mediocre American Presidents. Specifically, here are two arguments:
- From 1950 to 1999, the American Presidency mattered little. Any reasonably intelligent person could have been President without making a big difference.
- Since 2000, the American Presidency has mattered a lot more. Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Trump (45) were proven disasters, making Jimmy Carter, previously widely regarded as the worst, look much better in comparison. Finally, the last President (Joe Biden) made even potted plants look better!
What happened in 2000?
China!
The world had changed so much after the Cold War ended in 1991 that 2000 turned out to be a tipping point, with China becoming a formidable competitor to the West. For example, China has not only the size and strength to compete fully with America but also a totally different political system, which is, IMHO, slightly better than America’s.
America, on the other hand, has failed to adapt adequately. Two examples:
- America’s foreign and economic policies have not sufficiently changed since 1991.
- America’s political system has stagnated for the past 200 years.
As a result, by 2000, America had not only more economic competitors than it did in the 1980s but also more political enemies (e.g., Islamic extremists) than ever. No American Presidents from 1950 to 1999 faced such dual challenges. Two examples:
- Job loss due to economic downturns had been temporary before 2000, but thanks to automation and globalization, it became increasingly permanent after 2000.
- Years of excessive spending (e.g., the MIC and public-sector unions) have finally caught up with us. Our national debt just keeps piling up.
Consequently, the incompetence of America’s political system in general and the American Presidency specifically has become much more apparent and ominous. As a result, today, America has not only even more economic competitors and political enemies than in 2000 but also much stronger duels.
3. American Presidency: it is a joke!
Currently, the American Presidency is a joke. Anyone can apply for the job—just be a U.S.-born citizen and older than 35. No experience is required. It asks fewer questions than the job application at McDonald’s!
The image below is a harsh reality check.
4. American Presidency: calling for a stronger one!
America needs a strong and capable President like Russia’s Putin or China’s Xi!
To ensure a strong American Presidency, we must raise the statutory requirements for the Presidency. Specifically, three major changes:
- One term (e.g., six years).
- Starting at Age 55-70.
- Having served as a state governor for one full term, at least.
Even with these major changes, the American Presidency is still inherently inferior to the Chinese Presidency. Two examples:
- A Chinese President typically has served not only as a state governor but also as the Vice President, with substantial amounts of experience, both domestic and international, prior to ascending to the top job in China. Can an American President possibly be prepared for the top job in America like that? No, not even close!
- A Chinese President has at least 10 years (i.e., two five-year terms) to run the country without worrying about re-election. Can an American President match that? With a one-term limit, the American President should serve for six years, making the job a bit more comparable to the Chinese Presidency.
Bottom line: These changes would be a good start to improving the competency of the American Presidency, thus improving America’s overall chance for success.
5. How to make it happen?
Constitutional changes!
We did it before. For example, the Twenty-second Amendment limits the American Presidency to two terms. But that is not good enough anymore. We should further restrict it to one term. For more, read American Presidency – Why is one-term a must?
At this stage, America desperately needs a great peaceful transformational leader like China’s Deng Xiaoping to make this happen.
Will President Trump be that leader?
No, or highly unlikely!
Why not?
6. Discussion
An American President is not a king or dictator (e.g., China’s Mao Zedong). He is thus limited in greatness (e.g., China’s Deng Xiaoping), although he/she may not be limited in destructiveness (e.g., Adolf Hitler), as President Bush II had already demonstrated.
In other words, no American President should be revered as a great figure in history. One main reason: It is simply not what the American Presidency was designed to be. Specifically, two perspectives:
- At home
- Abroad.
To briefly highlight teach …
6.1 At home
The U.S. Constitution was specifically written to limit the American Presidency’s power to prevent a king’s tyranny at home. For instance, any federal judge can block any Executive Order issued by a President. Two recent examples:
- Federal judge blocks Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship.
- Judge blocks Trump administration from placing 2,200 USAID employees on leave at midnight.
As a result, President Trump has his hands tied up, incapable of doing as much as he wants to drain the swamp quickly.
6.2 Abroad
Unfortunately, the U.S. Constitution does not limit the power a President projects abroad. As a result, President Bush II is now widely regarded as the #1 war criminal this century, thanks to the Iraq War!
As a matter of fact, the international standard for an American President has been so low that President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 for merely not being President Bush II! Yet, despite that, President Obama turned out to be a war criminal, thanks to his reckless foreign policy of regime change in Libya and Syria!
6.3 Summary
Thanks to the U.S. Constitution and its execution, there has never been, nor will there ever be, an American President comparable in achievements with great historical figures like Alexander the Great, China’s First Emperor, or China’s Deng.
Bottom line: We may never have a great president in history, but we must strive to have many good ones while minimizing bad ones.
7. An exception in the making?
I sincerely hope so …
President Trump already had a strong start. The image below offers one significant example.
For more, read Donald Trump vs. Deng Xiaoping.
8. Closing
The American Presidency must be redefined for America to have any chance of success in the future!
For more, read History 2.0 – China’s Comeback vs. America’s Decline.
