Presidents’ Day
By Ivan Eland • Monday February 18, 2013 2:34 PM PDT • 4 Comments
Presidents’ Day should itself remind us that the executive branch has expanded its power way beyond what the nation’s founders had intended at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. We don’t have a “Congress or Judiciary Day.” The day celebrates powerful executives as caricatured celebrities.
The founders had envisioned Congress, as the dominant branch of government, to be the people’s branch. The intent of a restrained executive is summarily illustrated with the founders’ creation of a chief executive called a president—“one who presides”—rather than called a governor—then a more powerful title indicating “one who governs.”
Yet over time, the executive power has surged from the usurpation of congressional powers and Congress’ willingness to abdicate such powers. As I illustrate in Recarving Rushmore: Ranking the Presidents on Peace, Prosperity, and Liberty, the evaluations of our presidents are often based on individual charisma, activism, and service during periods of crisis. Virtually ignored are the shifts in power that are transforming the executive branch into a governing branch:
- Two major functions of the Congress—in approving U.S. military action and determining the federal budget—have been eroded over time.
- Since the Korean War in the early 1950s, Congress has willingly abdicated its historical constitutional role of declaring war. As a result, the president now routinely takes the country to war without the constitutionally required congressional approval.
- With the rise of a unified yearly budget for the executive branch, beginning in the 1920s, Congress began merely altering the massive document only at the margins.
- Big government in the United States is really executive government.
It will be difficult to stuff such unconstitutional executive power back into the bottle; but for the sake of the continuation of governance under a republic, it is vital. Most of the ‘excellent’ presidents I suggest in Recarving Rushmore are remembered as bland men with gray personalities, but they largely respected the Constitution’s intention of limiting government and restraining executive power, especially in regard to making war. They realized that America is great not because of its government’s activism at home and abroad, but because of the hard work and great ideas of private American citizens living in freedom. In other words, they realized that peace, prosperity, and liberty are best achieved by the framers’ notion of restricting government power.
Tags: American History, Books, Constitution, Defense, Liberty, Military, Nationalism, Police, Power, Presidential Power, War 
Besides making Congress the people’s house, the Constitution protected federalism by also making it the states’ house: each state’s legislature chose its two senators. Since the state legislators were elected by the people, senators also were (indirectly) the people’s representatives. Over the years we made the presidency far more powerful than Congress and the national government far more powerful than all the state governments combined (federal spending is more than two times the sum of all state spending).
MingoV | Feb 18, 2013 | Reply
The onslaught of Cultural Marxism in America over the last 75 years or so has had a profound effect on the attitude of the American people in general as to the “greatness” of past American Presidents. Public Education,Academia and the Mainstream Media has been greatly influenced by,and to a certain extent controlled by, collectivist thought in the direction of applauding “activist” Presidents as opposed to Presidents that championed peace,prosperity and limited Constitutional government. In other words,influenced by the collectivists in positions to dispense knowledge and opinion the average American often doesn’t think for themselves and instead relies on the opinions of historical “experts.” In effect the Left has won the war of opinion by positioning it’s spokespeople in positions of influence in Academia,Public Education and the Main Stream Media. The forces of Liberty have been fighting a rearguard action on the war of ideas and opinion. Most people are too lazy or uninterested in exploring “alternative” history. This is why the Presidents that forwarded collectivism and the centralization of power the most in American history are rewarded with the title of “great” or “near great” in their Presidential rankings. Rankings that are made by these same collectivists doing the appraising of “greatness.” Even so,often the truth often spills out. Especially with the growth and influence of the Internet. This is why the Internet revolution must not only continue to be active bu also independent.
libertarian jerry | Feb 18, 2013 | Reply
While Saul Alinsky’s book,RULES for RADICALS has been and still is Obama’s play book,it was in Colonel Edward Mandel house’s book that came the blueprint for a socialist United States as dreamed of by Karl Marx.in this book, he predicted the enactment of the graduated income tax,excess profits tax, unemployment insurance,social security and a flexible currency system.These plans were carried out by both Wilson, FDR and their administrations. Every Democratic president and administration has move America closer and closer to becoming the United States Socialist Republic.This was the dream of Karl Marx.I am sure those who wanted a socialist United States were surprised how easy it was thanks to so many ignorant voters.Having read THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO and its Ten Planks i wonder how many realize how many America has already adopted?
Bob Marshall | Feb 18, 2013 | Reply