Understanding Why the Nov. 2024 Election Will Decide Our Future
Qualifications for Government Positions
If the nation chooses employees based on merit, why shouldn’t the choice of President and the choice of Vice President, advisors, staff, and Cabinet & agency heads, judges, and ambassadors also be subject to viable qualifications for these jobs? Kamala Harris is extremely qualified to serve as U. S. President, able to change policies by governing with moral and legal authority. Donald Trump falls in the “Off-Task” evaluation category in the table above, Putin’s Puppet.
Businesses, Corporations, the 15 executive departments (all headed by the President’s chosen leaders), National Health Organizations, State School Boards and Teachers’ Organizations, Universities, Science and Engineering firms, all have clear policies and evaluation procedures to choose the best candidates for hiring at all levels. In stark contrast, the federal government lists only 3 Constitutional requirements for U. S. President — the President must be at least 35 years of age, be a natural born citizen, and must have lived in the United States for at least 14 years. When the Constitution was drafted no other qualifications were specified: requiring competency, intelligence, in-depth knowledge of laws and government, good communication skills, excellent governing experience, rhetoric, oratory skills, the ability to listen, morals & ethics, selfless devotion to the public good, or reliability on facts and truth. It is time to fix this.
The U. S. President is both the head of state and head of government of the United States of America, and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. He or she chooses the heads of the 15 Cabinet Departments. The President also appoints the heads of more than 50 independent federal commissions, e. g. Federal Reserve Board (FRB) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as well as federal judges, ambassadors, and other federal offices. Other executive agencies such as the CIA and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are under the full authority of the President. The Executive Branch conducts diplomacy with other nations and the President has the power to negotiate and sign treaties, which the Senate ratifies. The President can issue executive orders, which direct executive officers or clarify and further existing laws. The President also has the power to extend pardons and clemencies for federal crimes. The President has considerable power over the lives and rights of Americans.
The Executive Branch of government consists of the President, Vice President, Cabinet, and the Executive Office of the President (EOP). The Vice President is elected along with the President by the Electoral College. Each elector casts one vote for President and another for Vice President.
The Cabinet is an advisory body made up of the heads of the 15 executive departments (State, Defense, Treasury, Commerce, Agriculture, Education, Energy, Health & Human Services, Transportation, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Dev., Interior, Justice, Labor, and Veterans Adm.), all appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. All the members of the Cabinet take the title Secretary, excepting the head of the Justice Department, with the title of Attorney General.
The EOP, overseen by the White House Chief of Staff, is run by many of the President’s closest advisers. While Senate confirmation is required for some advisers, such as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, most are appointed by the President. The Press Secretary provides daily briefings for the media on the President’s activities and agenda. Less visible to most Americans is the National Security Council, which advises the President on foreign policy, intelligence, and national security.
If the Presidency falls into the hands of a compromised unqualified idiot, like Donald Trump, then disaster ensues. Both foreign and domestic fascists vow to use the U.S. Presidency to dismantle democracy, enthrone a dictator, drain the Treasury, and enslave citizens. Even Charles Koch was quoted as saying that he didn’t care whether GOP candidates for Congress knew anything or could legislate. He was more interested in their ability to take orders from donors; i. e. bribes to obstruct legislation.