It is always good to have a discussion on our form of government. The Republican Party has morphed into a conservative ideologue. The liberal Democrats have become the National Socialist Party. Is there another way. Dr. Colman suggests we go the British route—a parliamentary system.
Unlike the Left, I believe in debate and discussion—it makes all of us stronger.
PARLIAMENT, ANYONE?
By Richard Colman, Exclusive to the California Political News and Views, 9/13/23 www.capoliticalreview.com
Failed leaders: That’s what the American system of government has been producing in the 21st century.
The presidencies of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden have been, to put things mildly, lackluster or failures.
Can America switch to another system of government and still be a democracy?
One need look no further that Great Britain, America’s mother country.
With a modified British-style form of government, America can still have a Senate, a House of Representatives, and a Supreme Court. However, instead of having executive authority held by a president, America would have a prime minister instead. The prime minister could be elected by the House, the Senate, or both bodies.
There still could be a president, but such a figure would be a ceremonial or elected figure, much like King Charles III in Britain or the presidents of Germany or Israel.
The big advantage of a parliamentary system is that an unpopular or incompetent prime minister could be removed from office quickly.
Having a parliamentary system would mean that such presidents as Donald Trump or Joseph Biden could be driven from office promptly.
Trump’s problems were that he was weak on national security, ill-mannered, and dictatorial.
Biden’s problems are that he has been weak on such matters as illegal immigration, inflation, and crime.
Also, both Trump and Biden are much too old to govern effectively.
Trump has insulted people, has been an unreliable partner to America’s allies in Europe and Asia, and has been indicted (four times) for illegal or unconstitutional behavior. During his one term as president, Trump increased the national debt by $8 trillion. Trump never balanced a federal budget.
Biden botched America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, spent too many federal dollars each year, never balanced a federal budget, and been a hostage to special interests. Biden, who became president on Jan. 20, 2021, has presided over massive increases in the prices of food and energy. Currently, gasoline in parts of America costs between $5 and $6 a gallon.
Under a parliamentary system, the head of the political party with the most votes in parliament would become the prime minister. If one party did not have a majority, then a coalition of parliamentary members would be needed to select a prime minister.
A prime minister who lost the support of his (or her) parliament’s members, would have to resign or call for new elections.
Several recent British prime ministers have had to resign because they lost support. They include David Cameron, Theresa May, and Boris Johnson. All of these prime ministers were members of Britain Conservative Party (also called the Tories). Without fanfare or ceremony, a new prime minister took over.
Going back to the 20th century, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who first became prime minister in 1979, was ousted in 1990. Thatcher, a member of the Conservative Party, had proposed some unpopular legislation.
During a secret meeting in Britain, Conservative Party members voted to replace Thatcher as the party’s leader. At the time of the secret meeting, Thatcher was attending a theatrical event in Paris. Once back in Britain, Thatcher was no longer the Conservative Party’s head, and Thatcher was forced to resign as party head and as prime minister.
The new head of the Conservative Party was John Major. At the time, the Conservatives had a parliamentary majority. Having that majority made Major not just the party’s leader but also, automatically, the prime minister.
Some details would have to be worked out to bring a parliamentary system about in America. A constitutional amendment (or amendments) would be needed.
But with a parliamentary system, America could easily get rid of such louts as Trump and Biden.
Definitely understand the basic idea – need a means to throw out an incompetent President. But maybe there are ways to do that without revamping the entire structure of our Constitution. Britain is not a very good model of good government. If people have the opportunity to throw out a leader just because they are unhappy with some policy or edict, we will never have stable government. At least we have stability for 4 years at a time, even though the population generally becomes dissatisfied with whoever is in power over time. So maybe all we need is a single Constitutional amendment to permit a President to be recalled from office under particular circumstances. For example, a recall could be based on conviction of any felony or other specified crimes; or, clear and convincing proof the President was involved in unethical dealings such as pay-for-play arrangements with foreign governments. Our general population is nothing like the people who live in England, and there are good reasons we don’t want to be like them.
Carrie has a very good idea. By proposing recall (removal) elections, Carrie is advocating what California approved over a century ago. In fact, California, again over a century ago, approved more than recall elections. California also permits ballot initiatives and referendums on legislation.