The Authoritarian Problem

 

We have all heard the time-worn adage, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” And often it seems people try to pin the cliche on things that truly are broken. The check engine light turns on, but the car still gets you from point A to point B. You have recurring back pain but you push through your daily routine. A virus warning flashes on your computer screen, but you click ignore yet again. What we think is working is only a malfunction or two away from falling apart completely and can be expensive to repair or replace. Similarly, a system of governance, if ignored and taken for granted, can exhibit the same symptoms of wear before it begins to break down. Political groups polarize, compromise is abandoned for rigid idealism, Congress grinds to a halt, people lose faith in their leaders, and extremism grows rampant among the population. In the United States, the signs are everywhere that things are not working and the distance between right and left, liberal and conservative, rural versus urban continues to stretch until a tear in the fabric of this country is inevitable. 

Before delving further into my thoughts and ideas on this topic, I would like to make myself very clear that I am not a political science major, nor do I have any experience in the field of political analytics. What I am about to share does not come from a place of institutional learning or practical experience, but from my own, probably flawed, layman’s understanding and view on the current political environment and system in the United States, and how I believe it can be improved. Also, I make no pretense that any of these ideas will ever come to any actual fruition. These are simply my musings and opinions into how I think this country can be reinvigorated into a more fair, cohesive and enhanced version of itself moving forward. 

In this age of heightened polarization, with droves of people flocking to the extremes of the bilateral spectrum, I begin to question whether the office of the President is doing more harm than good for this country as a whole. It is during presidential elections that we seem to be at our most volatile. Where anger and hatred engulfs much of our percepts and discourse, as loyalty to paragons of opposing parties is venerated above love of country, and all of this behind the thin veneer of patriotism and moral superiority. A couple of main issues I see with having one defining leader is, first, the overtly single minded agenda each president brings to the office only to be dismantled and restarted with the next successor. This perpetual cycle of building up and tearing down weakens our economy, diplomacy and heightens extremism at home. Secondly, we are constantly cutting off the top of the pyramid every time a new president is elected. Every secretary of each executive department is tossed out and instilled with a new head that would better serve as a puppet for the president’s agenda. I believe this to be a malign practice since it is the voices of warning that are most needed when making large scale decisions that could affect millions of Americans, as well as those beyond our borders.

Since the beginning of civilization, human beings have depended on authoritarian rule. Whether they be kings, queens, emperors, chieftains, or presidents, all titles still equate to an authoritative ruler who holds the greatest levels of power. In the formative years of humankind, it was easier to bestow authority to those who had the greatest strength, cleverness or pedigree. But as we advanced, power began to slowly spread out due to the necessity of larger populations and greater awareness of individual and societal needs. Instead of a life long position, we’ve instilled term limits to the highest office. Instead of hereditary rulership, we utilize a democratic system to choose leaders who will best represent us. As we expand freedom, rights, privileges, education, and equal representation, authoritarianism declines. 

The Constitution of the United States was a monumental step forward, and propelled the rest of the world to follow suit; giving billions of people across the globe a voice in the major decisions their countries make. Acknowledging this fact, we can also acknowledge that even a great step forward must be met by another step eventually, elsewise progress stops and we are met with stagnation and eventual decay. I propose that the next step in ensuring our continued legacy and revitalizing our country is to ratify a new amendment for the Constitution, one that reforms the Executive Branch, deposing the majority of powers of the president and dispersing those powers among members of an Executive Council. 

This new function of the governance would help to deescalate extremism by making the office of the president less of a fulcrum to any one political agenda, while adding additional checks and balances within the branch itself. The Executive Branch would no longer be an office of a single president, but become a council of seven members which would distribute the powers of the branch among them in order to eliminate absolute dominance of any faction or party, which would instill a necessity to compromise and bridge differences in the highest branch of government. Each of the seven members will hold equal status and are nominated by either popular vote, such as the President, chosen by representatives of their departments, or by a constituency of qualified voters in certain fields of expertise. This system would utilize a more technocratic approach to electing those who are best qualified in leading the departments on the executive level. They then must appear before the Senate for approval, though plenary powers are vested to the electors. Each Councilor would be the head of the departments they are over, but executive actions would have to pass a majority vote from the council before being enacted. All members of the Executive Council will be allowed to serve a term of four years with a maximum of two terms, or eight years.

Below I have listed the titles of the members of this council, how they would be elected, and which departments they would preside over:

• President of the United States: The PotUS is voted in by majority vote among registered voting citizens. (The Electoral College is abolished.) Instead of commanding all fifteen of the Executive departments, the President will only be in charge of three: the departments of Homeland Security, Justice, and the State. 

• Commander of the Armed Forces: The CotAF is chosen by the Joint Chief of Staff and must be the equivalent rank of Colonel or higher among any of the military branches. They are in charge of the Departments of Defense and Veteran Affairs.
• Director of Human Resources: The DoHR is elected by representatives from each department in which they would preside. Must have a minimum of twelve years of experience within the field of Human Resources. They will be put in charge of the departments of Education, Health and Human Resources, Housing and Urban Development, and Labor.
• Steward of Land Management: The SoLM is elected by representatives from each department in which they would preside. Must have a minimum of twelve years of experience within the field of Land Management. They would be put in charge of the Departments of Agriculture, Interior, and Transportation.
• Facilitator of Development and Economics: The FoDaE is nominated by members of the US Economic Community, and must have a minimum of twelve years experience in a field of Economics. They will lead the departments of Commerce, Energy, and the Treasury.
• Philosopher of Science and Research: The PoSaR is nominated by members of the US Scientific Community, and must have a minimum of twelve years experience in a field of Science. Two new departments will be created for this position: The Departments of Space and Technology, and Climate and Geological Surveillance.
• Minister of Ethical Affairs: MoEA is nominated by the US Ethics Assembly which is comprised of representatives from every major religious, philosophical and Civil organization. Two additional departments will be introduced under this position: the departments of Civil Rights, and Religious and Philosophical Protections. 

 

Besides simply desiring to vent my thoughts, I admit I do have a sliver of hope that a few of these ideas will catch wind. Scattering here and there, eventually finding receptive soil and growing among future generations, with the hopes that they will take steps to one day veer our society further from the confines of authoritarianism. I do not believe that I will see any change like this in my lifetime, and I will still involve myself in elections and support those I feel have the character and dedication to lead. Changes this colossal takes time, and I won’t sit by and ignore the way the world is now just because I wish it to be something else.
            There are a plethora and a half of other thoughts and ideas I have in regards to the structure of government, such as term limits for Congress, and the disestablishment of the two-party system, but those topics will have to wait for another post. In the meantime, I hope some of these views have spurred the minds of a few readers, and perhaps put into question the need of certain long-standing traditions. I am always appreciative of any and all questions and comments whether complimentary or critical, as long as they strive to remain respectful and decent.