In this country we rejected the idea of having a King and decided to have a representative form of Government. We did however provide for a strong Executive branch, equal to the Legislative and Judicial Branches.
Defining the limits of each Branches authority has always been a problem particularly when the Nation is faced with a crisis or a war. In such time the Executive branch is given additional powers, temporarily, in order to act quickly.
We saw a significant expansion of these powers starting with the Great Depression. The expansion continued during World War 2 and stayed at an elevated level to some extent since then.
We had enough wars and other crises that we have effectively changed from a Government of the people to a Government of a leader and followers.
When we elect a President now, he generally represents his or her own views which he shares to some extent with the Party that nominates him. However, somewhat uniquely, the nominee only becomes the leader of the party after he gets nominated. In other countries the party leader is well known and a strong representative of its values.
Here we see the winner of the last election effectively usurp the party he was nominated by.
We see the other party in nominating primaries where one of the leaders isn't even a member of that party.
We have in effect become a country where we vote for a particularly personality instead of a set of values.
This is a path that if not reversed will lead to a dictatorship.
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