\"Writing.Com
*Magnify*
SPONSORED LINKS
Printed from https://writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/2333317-How-to-Take-the-White-House-for-Life
Item Icon
\"Reading Printer Friendly Page Tell A Friend
No ratings.
Rated: E · Article · Political · #2333317
It may be somewhat challenging for a president to become "President for Life."

The US was never anything less than an ideal democracy: a parliamentary democracy emphasizing separation of powers, regular elections, and terms. However, a “President for Life” opposes these democratic ideals. Here, I describe the constitutional, democratic, psychological, and moral impact of that scenario in the US.
A presidential tenure that would last for a lifetime would destroy basic democratic norms by replacing periodic elections with a pillar of non-transparency and no citizen participation. It would veto power and authority to one person, turn the democratic republic into an authoritarian regime, and potentially open the door to power politics and corruption.

It is a limitation on presidential terms set in the US Constitution by the 22nd Amendment, passed in 1951. In direct response to Franklin D Roosevelt’s four-term administration, this amendment would make no president of the United States who is a living history president permanent. Allowing a president to be in office for life would require changing the Constitution again, destroying the checks and balances against totalitarianism. What a president’s moral concerns are in life are about equality, freedom, and justice. Such a presidency could make voices from the opposition irrelevant and leave democracy at its mercy. It also raises the issues of justice and responsibility to future people for having a government that is all citizens.

The check-and-balance mechanism of the US government helps keep no branch of the government out of bounds – not even the president. Legislative and judicial branches check and balance executive authority, and voters elect successors. The only way around these would involve dramatic re-writing of laws, not just democratic norms. A lifetime presidency could promote a social and psychological culture of fear and complacency. Political stagnation and discontinuity could be political indifference on the part of citizens. Furthermore, opposition might be crushed, and citizens could feel less in control of their country’s affairs, leading to division and polarization.

Suppose a president, President X, declared he was staying on for life. How does democracy force him to resign and pass the baton to citizens? Well, term limits and the president’s law-making authority are explicit and codified in the US Constitution. The Supreme Court would, therefore, be pleased to rule such an apparent misuse of power unconstitutional, and if necessary, the police and military would support them by dragging the dictator out of the White House. That is why separation of powers is so remarkable in any country- courts, and legislatures are sometimes forced to step in to shut down an unruly executive. However, all this gets complex only if the potential permanent dictator has a tremendous popular base, primarily if the army supports him. If some popular pop politician who has the army to follow turns on the gas, then you don’t get much value out of your iron-clad constitutional checks and balances – you can’t thwart them from doing whatever they want, so they are the permanent President until they don’t support you. It is essential to note, though, that in the US, a military oath is to the constitution, not the president himself, and imposing that backing on a dictator is about as unconstitutional as you can get. So, to take the White House for Life would call for drastic action by the president, befriending and reigning in the military and or the police, rewrite the constitution, strip the citizens of their rights, and eliminate the form of democracy.
Author: Dr. Claude H A Simpson
Date: January 12, 2025
For: www.writing.com
© Copyright 2025 Claude H. A. Simpson (teach600 at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
Writing.Com, its affiliates and syndicates have been granted non-exclusive rights to display this work.
Printed from https://writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/2333317-How-to-Take-the-White-House-for-Life