
"The Constitution positions the president and Congress as adversaries, with Congress clearly given the upper hand. Just look at the State of the Union clause in the Constitution. It reads like a CEO (the president) is being summoned to make a presentation to their board of directors (Congress)."
"Instead of treating the president like its employee, Congress debases itself, yearly, while begging for photo opps with the sitting president. Congress has turned a clause meant to remind the president that he is not a king into the most monarchical event on the political calendar."
The State of the Union address has evolved into political theater that inverts the Constitution's original intent. The Constitution positions Congress as superior to the president, requiring him to report on the state of the union and recommend measures. However, modern practice has reversed this dynamic. Congress now treats the president as a monarch rather than an employee, seeking photo opportunities and debasing itself before the sitting president. This transformation reflects a broader erosion of constitutional checks and balances, where the president has become the central spectacle rather than a subordinate reporting to the legislative branch.
#state-of-the-union #constitutional-power #presidential-authority #political-theater #congress-accountability
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