Heads of state are the symbolic chief of a rustic. A few of them, like King Charles III of the United Kingdom, perform largely ceremonial roles today. Others, like Saudi Arabian King Salman, are absolute monarchs and concerned in governing the nation’s day-to-day actions and insurance policies. It additionally signifies that the Saudi monarch will get to do no matter he desires with out a lot consequence from others.
In america, the president is each the pinnacle of state and head of presidency. The top of presidency works with legislators and meets with different world leaders to barter agreements and navigate conflicts, amongst different duties.
Some presidents, like Jimmy Carter, received so slowed down within the specifics that the nighttime comedy present “Saturday Night time Dwell” made fun of it in 1977. “SNL” spoofed Carter responding in excessive, mundane element to a query about fixing a put up workplace’s letter sorting machines.
As a political scientist who studies American presidents, I see that President Donald Trump loves the ability and status that comes with being head of state, however doesn’t appear to notably benefit from the accountability of being head of presidency.
Trump hardly ever talks in regards to the often-tedious means of governing, and as a substitute acts with governance by decree by signing a flurry of government orders to keep away from working with different elements of the federal government. He has additionally likened himself to a king, writing on Feb. 19, 2025, “Long Live the King!”
As a lot as Trump loves hosting sports teams and talking about paving over the White House’s rose garden in a reworking mission, he appears to begrudgingly settle for the function of head of presidency.
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‘You need to be grateful’
Trump revels in social occasions the place he’s heralded as a very powerful individual within the room. On Feb. 9, 2025, Trump turned the primary sitting president to attend a Super Bowl. Every week later, he attended the Daytona 500 at Daytona Seashore, Florida, the place his limousine led drivers in finishing a ceremonial lap.
Trump’s desire for serving as head of state and never head of presidency was on full show throughout his now notorious Feb. 28, 2025, White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Within the televised Oval Workplace assembly, Trump repeatedly told Zelenskyy, “You need to be grateful.”
Trump was demanding deference from Zelenskyy to point out his inferior and submissive place as a recipient of U.S. assist and army assist. These are mannerisms of absolute kings, not elected officers.
Governing by government orders
The start of Trump’s second time period in workplace has been crammed with bulletins of modifications – principally by government actions. The Trump administration has ordered the Pentagon to cease cyber operations towards Russia and fired hundreds of employees on the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The administration has additionally closed the Social Security Administration’s civil rights office and, amongst many different issues, named the president chair of the Kennedy Center, a efficiency arts venue in Washington.
Trump has enacted coverage modifications nearly solely by government orders, as a substitute of working with Congress on laws.
Govt orders would not have to be negotiated with the legislative department and could be written by a small workforce of advisers and accepted by presidents. Throughout the first six weeks, Trump has signed more than 90 executive orders. By comparability, former President Joe Biden signed 162 government orders during his four years in office.
A lot of Trump’s government orders are being challenged in court docket, and a few have been discovered to likely not be constitutional.
Extra importantly, Trump’s successor can flip government orders into confetti instantly, merely with a signature. Trump himself has signed at least two executive orders that rescind over 60 earlier government orders, principally signed by Biden.
The truth that Trump has eliminated nearly all of Biden’s government orders highlights how the orders can create change for a second, or a number of years. However on the subject of long-term coverage change, congressional motion is required.
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Trump will get bored
Early in Trump’s first term in 2017, the administration planned themed weeks referred to as “Made in America” and “American Heroes,” for instance, to emphasise modifications it supposed to pursue.
Trump’s employees launched, stopped after which relaunched a themed infrastructure week seven occasions in 2019. This occurred after Trump repeatedly derailed infrastructure events to concentrate on a extra fascinating occasion or matter, starting from defending his comments that seemed to suggest support for white supremacists to discussing the reboot of Roseanne Barr’s sitcom.
In his second time period, Trump has farmed out many head of presidency duties to different individuals, notably billionaire Elon Musk, who’s main the brand new so-called Division of Authorities Effectivity. By mid-February 2025, Trump gave Musk, who holds the title of special government employee, oversight for hiring choices at every governmental agency.
However as DOGE has initiated widespread cuts at completely different authorities companies and places of work in an effort to trim authorities waste, Musk has reportedly clashed with Trump’s cupboard members. This contains Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in addition to other independent agencies funded by Congress.
Authorities companies, funding recipients and others are pushing back towards the cuts and at occasions are succeeding in getting court rulings that halt the dismissal of presidency employees, or reinstate different workers at their jobs.
Trump also seems to have abdicated most accountability of paperwork to others by permitting Musk’s workforce unprecedented entry to delicate authorities packages and paperwork that embody individuals’s private info.
Absolute kings, queens, emperors and dictators are heads of state who demand obedience as a result of they maintain the nation of their grip.
Presidents from elected democracies could, as within the case of the U.S., have a ceremonial side to the job, however it’s only part of it. The individuals democratically elect American presidents to serve everybody and supply the most effective authorities potential.
