I think everything that I've read that lead up to the drafting of the Constitution suggests that the Framers intended a weak executive.
Yes.
Make someone President and they want more power. Jefferson was frustrated by Congress and the Court, he honed the desire for more power and it overcame everything he believed prior to becoming President.
Yes.
It's more complicated than that, though. Congress bitches, moans, whines, horse trades, lies, steals, cheats, campaigns, does interns, makes unending boring speeches, accepts campaign donations, accepts bribes, collects campaign donations, sells their votes, accepts more donations, campaigns some more, makes sure they have wonderful medical and pension plans, accepts still more campaign donations, ......
and in the few moments remaining in there, conducts the nation's business.
Unfortunately, a lot of business won't wait for their schedules. Particularly military business.
So Congress leaves a large power vacuum behind it.
And politics abhors a power vacuum.
So the executive and to some extent the courts move right in. |
