Colin Murphy: For better or worse, here's what could happen if our next president goes rogue

"An activist in the Áras could push the boundaries of this 'ceremonial' position to uncomfortable lengths We describe our presidency as a ­"ceremonial" one. But that is based on a combination of constitutional constraints and convention. What if those conventions changed? What if an activist president, or an ­external crisis, challenged those limits and pushed the presidency into new ground? Here are eight ways in which a president (or circumstances) could expand the role, for better or for worse."

"What if those conventions changed? What if an activist president, or an ­external crisis, challenged those limits and pushed the presidency into new ground?"

The presidency is commonly described as ceremonial because constitutional constraints and long-standing conventions limit its active authority. Conventions, not solely legal text, shape the practical exercise of presidential powers. If conventions changed, an activist president or an external crisis could confront and stretch those limits, moving the office into new territory. Such expansion could alter the balance between symbolic duties and political intervention, influencing governance, public debate, and institutional norms. Both positive outcomes and risks are possible, depending on motives, legal boundaries, and public reaction. Eight distinct pathways for expansion are identified as potential mechanisms for change.

Read at Independent