Who's in Charge Here?

Congress to Prez: You're Fired.

   That's a tabloid headline that hasn't happened. Yet. But it could.
   Candidates prattle on with grand pronouncements about what they will do when elected President, ignoring the reality that no President can do much without the consent of Congress.
   Grant, a strong President with the backing of a majority of Congressional members of his own party can push through many programs, and there are some things a President can do by executive order, bypassing Congress.
   This was particularly true of Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s, as he led efforts to rescue the country from the Great Depression. He also had the support of a Democratic majority in both houses of Congress, at least for a time.
   Recently, however, President Barack Obama has faced what has become known as the Party of No, as Republicans move to block anything and everything he proposes, and then blame him for America's problems.
   During this election campaign, the candidates make many promises, as they generally do. But no chief executive can implement these promises without support in Congress, if only because they are the ones who control the purse strings. Without appropriated money, nothing happens. A President is called a chief executive for good reason; he (or she) is the one who executes plans and programs approved and budgeted by Congress.
   In the private sector, or course, a chief executive can push through many policies on his own, especially if he controls a commanding share of a company's stock.  Similarly, a President can propose and implement programs and policies if he or she can control a commanding share of Congressional representatives who must approve these programs and policies.
   Also in the private sector, a president can fire subordinates who disagree with policies or proposals, or refuse to carry them out. In government, however, it doesn't work that way, since Congress is not subordinate to the presidency. Neither, for that matter, is the Supreme Court. The Constitution stipulates that the three branches of government are equal.
   The President cannot fire any of the nine justices of the Supreme Court, since they are appointed for life. Nor can the President fire members of Congress, although he or she can encourage voters not to re-elect them.
   On the contrary, Congress can fire the President, through the process of impeachment, conviction and removal from office if the President is found guilty of "treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors."
   So far, only two Presidents -- Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton -- have been impeached, but neither was convicted or removed from office.  Richard Nixon resigned before articles of impeachment, prepared by a House committee, were approved by the full House of Representatives. The Constitution states that the House can impeach a President, but trial and/or conviction takes place in the Senate, with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presiding.
   So while candidates prattle on at great length about what they will do when elected, without the support of Congress, those promises are stymied.
   Therefore, it falls to the American electorate to choose wisely, naming not only a chief executive, but also members of the House and Senate who would support the President's proposals.
   However, as has been wisely noted, be careful what you wish for, because you may get it.