Appoint Supreme Court Justices
If you are President Obama then you know all too well the pain of trying to install your SCOTUS nomination. The President does NOT have the power to appoint a Justice. He or she has to have their pick heard and confirmed by the presiding Justices. In order to force a Supreme Court nomination through the President would have to have some high quality government attorneys on their side.
Appoint Supreme Court Justices
Interpret the law of the land
While the President plays a role in deciding the various laws in government, there is more to it. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the country and it is this group that serves to interpret law. While a New Hampshire lawyer or Boston personal injury attorney may know the law, a Supreme Court Justice lives the law.
Interpret The Law Of The Land
Legalize drugs, like Marijuana
There is a growing, pun intended, movement in the United States for the legalization of marijuana. While legalized marijuana exists at the state level, it will always be overruled by the federal government. Still, even a marijuana friendly President will need the cooperation of the DEA in order to reschedule the illegal drug. So, even though more people get DWI from alcohol than marijuana, it won’t be changed any time soon.
Legalize Drugs, Like Marijuana
Prevent deporting of illegal immigrants
President-Elect Donald Trump is going to allegedly work very hard to deport as many illegal immigrants as possible. He’ll have the aid of the Supreme Court on his side. It is not legal for the President to stop the deportation of immigrants without cooperation of the highest court in the country.
Prevent Deporting Of Illegal Immigrants
Grant amnesty to every illegal immigrant
Again, the same issue comes to play in the opposite direction. If a President, like President Obama, wanted to legalize a large swathe of illegal immigrants he would not be allowed to. The President still needs support from the SCOTUS, and that wouldn’t happen.
Grant Amnesty To Every Illegal Immigrant
Stop social security payments
The 2016 election cycle was crazy and even crazier was the idea that somehow certain candidates would disband social security and halt future payments. Social security is slated to go until nearly 2035 before any adjustments have to be made. Just like workmans comp, social security is your right and you’ve paid into it.
Stop Social Security Payments
Change border policy
While some presidential candidates may dream of a border-less future, that just won’t happen anytime soon. There are laws in place that go all the way back to the ’20s that prevent the President from allowing more than an allotted amount of legal immigrants into the country.
Change Border Policy
Drive any vehicle
If you love cars but want to be President then you might have a problem on your hands. The President of the United States is so strongly discouraged from driving that he or she is basically banned from it. The Secret Service doesn’t play around.
Drive Any Vehicle
Instill specific educational guidelines
There are times when the Federal government will overrule the rights of individual states, but not always. When it comes to installing specific educational programs, like Common Core, the states still have the ultimate right to refuse that decision.
Instill Specific Educational Guidelines
Own a phone with a recording device
Man, Apple friendly Presidents have it rough. The President of the United States is not allowed to own or use a phone that has a recording device built into it. That is why you are going to see a whole lot of tweets from Trump’s Blackberry — not an iPhone. Oh, the sacrifices these men and women must make.
The West Wing
Break any laws
The President of the United States is also a citizen of the United States. As such, they are subject to all of the laws that any other person would be. If a President breaks the law they can be impeached by the House and Senate. Ask Nixon and Bill Clinton how that feels.
Break Any Laws
Erase all student debt
Did you know in the ’60s and ’70s that most people could afford to pay for their college degree out of pocket? That’s not true anymore. Soaring educational costs can’t be saved by a student friendly President. There just simply isn’t a tangible way for a President to forgive student debt.
Erase All Student Debt
Have personal investments
Did you know that the President of the United States isn’t allowed to have any investments while in office? This is obviously to prevent the President from purposely engineering the law in order to increase their own gains. That is why all assents that a President owns must go into a blind trust. The big question for 2017: will President-Elect Trump actually follow this rule?
Have Personal Investments
Single handedly pass welfare reform
Welfare is a hot button topic for both democrats and republicans alike — albeit for different reasons. It should make most people comfortable to know that the President cannot single handedly ram through any welfare reform. They must have the cooperation of the courts in order to pass reform into law.
Single Handedly Pass Welfare Reform
Use executive orders to accomplish ANYTHING
Executive orders are the President’s greatest tool when dealing with obstruction from party politics. Even though executive orders carry some serious weight, they don’t have the ultimate power. The Supreme Court can still take an executive order and put it under the microscope if petitioned by Congress.
Use Executive Orders To Accomplish ANYTHING
Take firearms away from legal gun owners
While there will always be a fiery debate surrounding the topic of ‘gun control’, no private citizen needs to worry about having their arms confiscated by a handsy President. The President cannot seize the firearms of everyone in the country, even if a State of Emergency is declared. There has to be legal grounds for the confiscation of a firearm.
Take Firearms Away From Legal Gun Owners
Outlaw gay marriage
In 2015 the Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage was a constitutional right. The President does not have the power to overturn that ruling on their own. For gay marriage to become illegal a lower court would need to push a case to the Supreme Court and a different set of SCOTUS Justices would have to overrule the prior ruling. No amount of high priced attorneys can help the President without the Supreme Court on their side.
Outlaw Gay Marriage
Boost additional NASA funding
Woe be to those at NASA, but even President Obama couldn’t work miracles for their budget. The President has the power to propose a budget but it is ultimately going to come down to Congress to get something passed. Republican congresses typically are averse to spending on NASA and with President-Elect Trump in office it could be a long four years for the space program.
Boost Additional NASA Funding
Shut down the government
In an ironic twist, the President would need the cooperation of the House and Senate in order to actually prevent the government from operation. So while the Ron Swanson’s out there dream of becoming POTUS just to destroy the government machine, it isn’t going to happen. The President cannot ‘shut down’ anything.
Shut Down The Government
Declare war
While the President can push in the direction of an informal war, he or she cannot actually declare war. The President has to have the blessing of Congress, and vice versa, for war to be declared. When Congress and the President are acting in unison it seems like many things can be done so it’s always interesting to see what happens when the President and Congress is controlled by the same party.
Declare War
