Recently, a President of the United States posted on social media that “I have a country to run!” Pundits often blame or praise the president for whatever happens during his term. But does the president “run the country?” Is he supposed to?
James Madison, father of the American Constitution, explained in Federalist #51 the theory of separation of powers upon which our republic is based. Our constitution must, Madison said: "divide and arrange the several offices in such a manner as that each may be a check on the other…But it is not possible to give to each department an equal power of self-defense. In republican government, the legislative authority necessarily predominates."
The Constitution gives Congress the exclusive authority to levy taxes, determine how the money is spent, enact laws, levy tariffs, declare war, borrow money, regulate foreign and interstate commerce, and regulate the military, among other powers. Congress is the branch of our government that founders like Madison intended to “predominate” over the president and the courts.
The framers of our constitution did not intend that the president “run the country,” which is why the Constitution, in so many words, says he doesn’t, or at least that he isn’t supposed to.
"The History of Our Freedoms" is produced by KEDT-FM in Corpus Christi. Dr. Bill Chriss is a historian and legal scholar. For more on history and the constitution, check out his blog at https://drbillchriss.substack.com/.
