Bolaji:
I beg to disagree somewhat, for your postulation fails to take into account the social historical context in which those tools of presidential authority have evolved. I am of the position that those tools of presidential authority that you listed, which appear to have been exercised, under the current Presidency, in a manner that displeases a significant proportion of the population, ought not be diluted, eliminated or stripped from the presidency on account of how one president or the other have applied or misapplied them. They are part and parcel of the System of Checks and Balances that serves as a necessary balancing force in the US presidential system of governance.
Historically, some of those tools of presidential authority have been exercised in furtherance of justice and for the protection of the minority when the majority, through its dominance of both the legislature and the judiciary, refused to act to uphold the constitutional rights of an oppressed community. Let me cite a couple of famous examples. Prompted by the activism of civil rights-minority-labor rights champion A. Phillip Randolph, Executive Order 8802 was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 25, 1941, to prohibit racial discrimination in the national defense industry. It emerged as the first federal quasi-legislative action, to promote equal opportunity and prohibit employment discrimination in the United States during a time period when both the legislative and judicial arms of the system doggedly stuck to an overtly racist status-quo. A second example is Executive Order 9981 that was issued on July 26, 1948, by President Harry S. Truman to abolish discrimination "on the basis of race, color, religion or national origin" in the United States Armed Forces. That executive order eventually bought about an end to racial segregation within the US armed forces.
If we proceed to amend or modify time-honored executive, legislative and judicial forms and tools of authority simply on account of how one President, a particular Congress or a particular Supreme Court has exercised such authorities, we would end up under-mining the mosaic of Checks and Balances that binds, cross-checks and keeps afloat the three branches of the US presidential system of governance.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:Sunday, August 26, 2018After President Trump's exit - either by imminent resignation, or impeachment or one-term tenure - American Presidentialism will never be the same again. The unlimited powers of the Presidency which were presumed would never be tested by a "reasonable" President have been found to be dangerous under Trump, and will be formally curbed. The use and time length of Executive Orders, tax returns and campaign financing for candidates, pardon prerogatives, family members in White House, emoluments matters, security clearance issues, even deposition and inditement while in office, all will be looked at closely. The Union will become more perfect, and the ongoing opprobrium on America's democracy will be nullified. That is a promise, not a threat.(C) Bolaji Aluko, August 2018--
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