Anthony Zhou Week 10: Executive Power
So a week ago Donald Trump became our 47th president. On his first day he signed a number of executive actions which raised many questions about the limits of his power. One that stuck out to me was one his goal to remove birthright citizenship, which means that no matter the status of your parents, if you were born on U.S. soil you become a citizen. Revoking this right would put a lot of people’s livelihoods in jeopardy.
This also will violate the 14th amendment, which guarantees citizenship to all people “born or naturalized in the United States.”
Now I’m certain that this executive order will not amount to anything, and many federal lawsuits have already been filed in response. When this gets escalated to the Supreme Court there’s no doubt that it will get ruled unconstitutional.
But this raises some questions involving power abuse. President Trump may not be able to do much, but he can definitely set a precedent of quickly pushing impactful orders for future presidents, enabling them to expand the power of the executive branch.
This also erodes public confidence in the government, even if eventually these proposed policies get struck down. Folks will worry that more executive action will take place and violate more constitutional rights.
Obviously the controversy involving his day-one executive orders involves a lot more than just birthright citizenship. There are many people who feel uncertain for themselves as our President settles into the White House. But remember it's never controversial to speak out when certain rights are violated. The fact remains that we should keep those in power accountable so our rights are protected.
Hi, Anthony! When I first learned the concept of checks and balances in fourth grade, I was in awe of the system. I thought it was such a brilliant way to ensure that no one in power can abuse their resources. But, of course, this doesn’t always translate into real life. Through the context and information you present in your blog, it’s clear that leaders, like President Trump, often try to push these boundaries and perpetuate further exploitation of power in the government. Even though other branches work to regulate this, the very existence of proposals like revoking birthright citizenship seems outrageous and challenges the basis of our democracy by allowing someone to have so much control over us.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading your blog, I really appreciated the short, readable paragraphs. They not only organized the blog, but also made it much more clear and engaging. Overall, your commentary on the importance of keeping leaders from abusing their power to protect our rights is really insightful, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading and reflecting on it!
Hi Anthony, I agree that the current abuses of power by Trump are outrageous and must be reversed to preserve American confidence in our government. The President has a duty to protect the citizens and uphold the Constitution, not to take actions against the citizens by violating the Constitution. Another point that I have been thinking about myself is the precedent that Trump’s second administration will set. He has been convicted on 34 charges of felonies, among other crimes, and yet he was still elected to be President. This supposed higher position of the President that allows Trump to be above the law and the actions he took on his first day in office set a terrible precedent that gives the President much more power than the office should have.
ReplyDeleteI liked your blog’s style and layout, as the horrors of these executive acts are made very obvious. In addition, the cover image of Donald Trump with the title “Executive Power” hooks the reader by hinting at a criticism of Trump’s actions. The short and simple paragraphs effectively communicate your point while making the blog light and easy to read. If you were to improve something, I would suggest making your second sentence a bit clearer, but overall I enjoyed this post.
Hey Anthony! I definitely agree, Trump is abusing his power in ways that not only violate constitutional rights but moral rights as well. I don't believe we have ever seen an American President utilize their power in this way so quickly. What shocks me even more is all of this controversy occurred on his FIRST day of presidency. It makes me wonder what the next four years of this country will look like. I like your hopeful tone, however. It's comforting to hear just how unlikely it is for many of these policies to take effect. It definitely brings up the question, just how much power does Trump have, and what is he limited to? Is he realistically going to expand the power of the executive branch and morph the government into a dictatorship? We can take action, but we won't know what effects his orders will have on our future until we get there, so for some of us, all we can do it educate ourselves on the state of the government and wait to see what actions Trump takes next. I learned a lot through your post, and am excited to read your next one next week!
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