Are Presidents just figure heads?

[Shishir G]

This just crossed my mind just now...
Are Presidents just figure heads?
A figure meant to fool the American people?

Does the President even do ANYTHING? I mean, there's probably background workers, CIA, FBI, CSI Miami (lul) etc.

Opinion-wise, i think the President IS a figure head. He symbolizes power for almost all Americans, but I don't think he actually does anything...
For god sakes they dont even write their own speeches, other people write it for them and they just say it.

let the debate BEGIN!

P.S. As i write this on all my intelligent debate threads, fags and idiots who post will be reported.

[Sethy]

This just crossed my mind just now...
Are Presidents just figure heads?
A figure meant to fool the American people?

Does the President even do ANYTHING? I mean, there's probably background workers, CIA, FBI, CSI Miami (lul) etc.

Opinion-wise, i think the President IS a figure head. He symbolizes power for almost all Americans, but I don't think he actually does anything...
For god sakes they dont even write their own speeches, other people write it for them and they just say it.

let the debate BEGIN!

P.S. As i write this on all my intelligent debate threads, fags and idiots who post will be reported.

I'm pretty sure they write their speeches. Just because they read from a prompter, doesn't mean it's not theres.
I also believe presidents are puppets to the government. Of course they make decision themselves, and have A LOT of power, but all in all, it's up to the government.

[Steve]

I'm pretty sure they write their speeches. Just because they read from a prompter, doesn't mean it's not theres.
I also believe presidents are puppets to the government. Of course they make decision themselves, and have A LOT of power, but all in all, it's up to the government.

The presidents have speech writers :O. Although they probably provide the ideas. The writers just make them fancy.

[Sethy]

The presidents have speech writers :O. Although they probably provide the ideas. The writers just make them fancy.

Well, yeah, but the plot's on the president.

[Trey]

This just crossed my mind just now...
Are Presidents just figure heads?
A figure meant to fool the American people?

Does the President even do ANYTHING? I mean, there's probably background workers, CIA, FBI, CSI Miami (lul) etc.

Opinion-wise, i think the President IS a figure head. He symbolizes power for almost all Americans, but I don't think he actually does anything...
For god sakes they dont even write their own speeches, other people write it for them and they just say it.

let the debate BEGIN!

P.S. As i write this on all my intelligent debate threads, fags and idiots who post will be reported.

The presidents currently have more power than ever intended by the founding fathers. Yes, the cabinet has been growing, but that doesn't mean the president isn't doing his job. A good leader surrounds himself with intelligence and experience and asks for advice when needed, to do anything would simply be stupid. The president is a leader, not a know-it-all.

[Shishir G]

Every president uses clues from the presidents before. SPECIALLY Obama. If you listen to his speech, its basically all the presidents speeches combined into 1 with a few of his own words added...

Anyways i found this interesting article..
Only the registered members can see the link.

[Trey]

Every president uses clues from the presidents before. SPECIALLY Obama. If you listen to his speech, its basically all the presidents speeches combined into 1 with a few of his own words added...

Anyways i found this interesting article..
Only the registered members can see the link.

That doesn't make them figure heads....

The president has clearly laid out powers and responsibilities. This isn't really even debatable, considering it's simply a fact that the president has power.

[Shishir G]

That doesn't make them figure heads....

The president has clearly laid out powers and responsibilities. This isn't really even debatable, considering it's simply a fact that the president has power.

The speech thing just came out when the other 2 up there discussed by example on the OP...
I was just implying that a President doesn't even write his speech, the speech that makes everyone watching them initially go "hmm... i think i'll vote for him!"

Anyways, how can we know the President is even doing ANYTHING?
To me, hes just a puppet that talks and talks about what "he" is doing. The quotations on he is because that "he" could be any government center, maybe one we don't even know of (doubtful)

[deadlyshot99]

I agree with Trey^

It's just stupid though that over in Enland the king and queen really don't have any power. It's pretty stupid.

[Trey]

The speech thing just came out when the other 2 up there discussed by example on the OP...
I was just implying that a President doesn't even write his speech, the speech that makes everyone watching them initially go "hmm... i think i'll vote for him!"

Anyways, how can we know the President is even doing ANYTHING?
To me, hes just a puppet that talks and talks about what "he" is doing. The quotations on he is because that "he" could be any government center, maybe one we don't even know of (doubtful)

You're basically questioning the function of governments themselves, not necessarily their leaders. The question you're asking about the president could be applied to any government.

Obviously he doesn't physically do everything, that's the damn point of a cabinet and a government in the first place. He calls the shots, however. Even if he doesn't actually write his own speeches, he's not going to read some random shit that some guy wrote for him if it isn't what he wants to read or if it doesn't reflect his policies. You're basically implicitly questioning whether or not there is some sort of shadow government, which by definition is essentially unknowable. The president has the largest influence on policies and executive system as a whole, so of course he has power and actually does things. Things that he doesn't physically do are delegated to cabinet members and staff that are appointed and chosen by him, lol, so he has full control of what goes on with his responsibilities.

[Zykev2]

Its no secret that the President doesn't hold much power, the only people it fools is the people that are too ignorant to understand our branches of government... This is Government 101 here guys.

Only the registered members can see the link.


Almost everything that the President wants to initiate has to pass through Congress.

[deadlyshot99]

Its no secret that the President doesn't hold much power, the only people it fools is the people that are too ignorant to understand our branches of government... This is Government 101 here guys.

Only the registered members can see the link.


Almost everything that the President wants to initiate has to pass through Congress and the house of representatives.

Um, according to that picture he has just as much power as the other 2 branches? That wasn't a very good arguement...

[Trey]

Um, according to that picture he has just as much power as the other 2 branches? That wasn't a very good arguement...

Apparently you've never heard of checks and balances.

[deadlyshot99]

Yeah, I have. I said, 'According to that picture.'

[Zykev2]

Um, according to that picture he has just as much power as the other 2 branches? That wasn't a very good arguement...

Really not a good argument? I didn't think I would have to explain the basis of checks and balances and the purpose of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of the U.S government to you...


if you would like me to elaborate and give a full rebuttal to that argument then I will, if you still don't understand me.

[deadlyshot99]

Really not a good argument? I didn't think I would have to explain the basis of checks and balances and the purpose of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of the U.S government to you...

Dude, I never said you weren't right. I said that picture wasn't a good argument. It doesn't show anything specific. I'm not a moron, I know what checks and balances are, but that doesn't mean that other people on this forum do..

[Zykev2]

Dude, I never said you weren't right. I said that picture wasn't a good argument. It doesn't show anything specific. I'm not a moron, I know what checks and balances are, but that doesn't mean that other people on this forum do..

Then they can kindly challenge my argument and we can debate from there... Its kind of the purpose of this section.

[deadlyshot99]

Then they can kindly challenge my argument and we can debate from there... Its kind of the purpose of this section.

I agree.

[Trey]

Yeah, I have. I said, 'According to that picture.'

Not being a dictator doesn't mean the president has no power at all. Also zykev, the president does have the power of executive order. He can give orders to staff of the executive branch and even punish them for non-compliance, though the legality of this power has been questioned many times. The congress can back an executive order, giving it full legal power, but if they don't it still is backed by the independent power of the executive branch itself. Excluding that and a few other privileges, checks and balances can pretty much block or overturn just about any act of any part of the government.

[Megak]

The President has little to no power at all, actually. Any area you name, there's another individual or group who has more control
Examples:
Economy = Fed Chairman
Law = Individual members of congress
Interpretation of the law = Appeals courts (someone please don't say I forgot the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court is an appeals court)
Education = Secretary of education
Military = Joint Chiefs of Staff (The President is the commander in chief indeed, but considering most presidents have never had any military experience, they rely on these guys)
ETC.

VP is undeniably just a figure, all he does is preside over the Senate