Funny you should mention that. I just listened to a Freakonomics podcast
that discussed that very issue. You can listen to the podcast (about 47
minutes), or probably read through the arguments in the text a bit
quicker. This is essentially a discussion between Stephen Dubner (Mr.
Freakonomics) and Eric Posner (a professor at the University of Chicago
Law School). Dubner asserts that the President doesn't really matter,
but Posner has not quite the opposite point of view.
http://freakonomics.com/podcast/u-s-presidency-become-dictatorship/
bp
<part15sbs{at}gmail{dot}com>
On 10/16/2016 11:08 PM, Forrest Christian (List Account) wrote:
I think most people think the president is a dictator or something.
As far as making real changes at home, you're right. My concerns
specifically in relation to trump are more about his apparent
volatility. We're putting this guy in charge of the nuclear codes and
in charge of negotiations with (as an example) North Korea. I guess
you could sum it up with "what is his excellent temperament going to
get us into as a country?"
On Oct 16, 2016 9:17 PM, "Chuck McCown" <ch...@wbmfg.com
<mailto:ch...@wbmfg.com>> wrote:
Congress makes and changes law. Supreme Court makes a few
important decisions. Regulators are who really run the country.
Does it really matter who the president is?
What did Obama do? Encouraged the ACA. Dropped the ball in
Syria. But how did he affect me, my degree of wealth, my amount
of spare time?
Ditto Bush. They affect foreign policy. They have the ability to
really mess up other people’s lives in other countries, but do
they really have much effect on me?
Granted, altering the make up of the Supreme Court changes things
like can I choose to marry a dude or do I have to sell wedding
cakes to gays. But that really does not touch me. My
granddaughter having to cope with dudes in the bathroom at school
hits a bit closer to home, but I trust congress will eventually
settle on something a bit more common sense.
I guess I am trying to convince myself that a president really
doesn’t do much here at home. Congress does. The court does.
Bureaucracies do.
Now, if the president could get a whole truckload of cheese
delivered to the Whitehouse and give it out to anyone that drops
in for a visit, then we are talking about a real impact...
http://history1800s.about.com/od/19th-Century-Presidents/fl/Andrew-Jacksons-Big-Block-of-Cheese.htm
<http://history1800s.about.com/od/19th-Century-Presidents/fl/Andrew-Jacksons-Big-Block-of-Cheese.htm>
