Members of the Cabinet, as well as some high-ranking deputies (often known by the title Deputy Secretary), must be confirmed by a majority vote of U.S. Senate. They can be fired by the President at any time and for any reason, though they can only be removed by the Senate through the same impeachment process utilized to remove the President, Federal Justices, and Federal Judges.

The Federal Budget

The President is responsible for proposing the first draft of the country’s budget. From a practical standpoint, though, such proposed budgets are often considered dead on arrival when introduced to Congress. The House and Senate often rewrite the budget to reflect their own priorities.

The Federal budget is supposed to be passed by Congress via a series of appropriation bills that fund different parts of the government. But in recent years, Congress has rarely passed the necessary appropriation bills, opting instead for emergency spending bills, called continuing resolutions (CRs), largely keeping expenditures the same as the previous year in order to keep government funded.

Failure to pass even these emergency measures have threatened or actually resulted in partial shutdowns of the Federal government. Such showdowns between the President and Congress have sadly become a routine experience in recent years.

Summing It Up

The Framers of the Constitution structured the three branches of government as co-equal, in an attempt to avoid the concentration of power that had arisen in the British system from which they declared independence. But these days, are the three branches still really equivalent in power? Here’s where things can get murky. The answer to the question really depends upon how much each branch chooses to assert its powers. Some feel that the Supreme Court’s 2024 conveyance of Presidential immunity for official acts has contributed to political overreach and the diminishment of the checks and balances in our system.

Maintaining that system of checks and balances has become increasingly questioned when it comes to the use of military force. Congress has generally played a more passive role in foreign policy, ceding a good deal of their influence in this area to the President.  At the same time, Presidents have been accused of overstepping their Constitutional powers by, among other things, issuing executive orders for actions that some feel should require Congressional approval.

Undoubtedly, what would go a long way towards making government work better for the people would be for officials to adopt an atmosphere of greater trust, a willingness to seek bipartisanship, and a commitment to achieving consensus. And we can all do without the constant drama.

Though many question its practicality and effectiveness in today’s political environment, the ultimate power to make change still lies with the people. With even a modest effort to be more selective about who and what we vote for, as well as taking a greater interest and role in our democracy in other ways, much could be accomplished in DC and our State capitols.

Much more on this and others aspects of our political system either is available on  GeorgeWasRight!