SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

The job description of the President of the United States

Jun 3, 2016, 4:32 PM | Updated: 4:33 pm

The President shall be Commander in Chief for the Army and the United States. He may require the opinion in writing of the principle officer in each of the Executive Departments. He may grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States except in cases of impeachment.

He shall have power by and with the advice and consent of the Senate to make treaties provided two thirds of the Senate concurs. And he shall nominate and appoint ambassadors, public ministers, judges of the Supreme Court and all the other officers of the United States. And he has the power to fill up vacancies that may arise in the Senate. He shall from time to time give Congress the State of the Union. He’ll receive ambassadors and public ministers. He shall take care that the laws of the United States should be faithful executed.

And there ends the job.

A lot of our current problems have arisen from the cult of the President. But it is actually, deliberately, a weak executive position. Everything he or she does is constrained and is based around advice and consent.

How did it get to the point where our President thinks he can withhold Federal funds from states if they don’t allow men in women’s bathrooms? How does that have anything to do with the President’s job description?

The further we depart from the rule book that our founding fathers created, the further we get away from the founders plan to constrain the growth of government and restrain the power of the President.

When you the read the job description of the President of the United States it is unrecognizable to what the job means today. We need to take control back.

Snohomish jail death...

Jason Sutich

Inmate dies on fourth day in Snohomish County Jail after being found unresponsive in cell

A 54-year-old male inmate died on his fourth day at the Snohomish County Jail after he was found unresponsive in his cell on Sunday morning.

3 minutes ago

Bellevue restaurant...

MyNorthwest Staff

Acclaimed Seattle restaurateur plans first concept in Bellevue

Bellevue is getting a new concept from an acclaimed Seattle restaurateur.

12 minutes ago

Ballot Ocean Shores election lawsuit grays harbor...

MyNorthwest Staff

Ocean Shores candidate seeks damages over alleged ballot error in race decided by one vote

A woman who lost an Ocean Shores City Council race by one vote, along with the city's mayor, is suing Grays Harbor County in federal court.

31 minutes ago

shootout...

James Lynch

1 dead, 3 injured in shooting and stabbing at Pasco Halloween party

One person died, and three others were injured in a violent incident in Pasco early Saturday.

1 hour ago

Associated Press

New Mexico mom charged with murder after son, 10, fatally shoots teen in loud music dispute

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities in New Mexico have filed murder and other charges against the mother of a 10-year-old boy who fatally shot a teenage neighbor in a dispute over loud music. Elaina Gomez-Villeda, 40, was scheduled to make her first court appearance Monday afternoon on an open count of murder as well as […]

1 hour ago

bite of seattle (6)...

Luke Duecy

The Spin: KIRO Newsradio uncovers voicemail telling police to delay Bite of Seattle shooting briefing

A voicemail from Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s public safety director adds a new dimension to questions about why the city waited roughly five hours to publicly brief the media after a deadly shooting at the Bite of Seattle. In crisis communications, the first response can be just as important as the response itself. And when […]

2 hours ago

The job description of the President of the United States