What could the Founding Fathers have done differently to avoid a President Trump?

[Mr. Ected]

I'm hardly a constitutional scholar, but checks and balances in a 2-party system only function properly when each of the parties control at least one branch of the government.

Trump has been unleashed on us, and with overt partisans from his party taking the lead at the legislative and judicial levels, the opportunity for mischief is omnipresent. The Democrats would self-police in such an instance. The Republicans, obviously, will not. Party before nation, 100 times out of 100. They've made a mockery of the Constitution and our Republic is threatened as it has never been before.

[DURHAM D]

1. a literacy test? nt

[sarah FAILIN]

2. Not capped the electoral college?

Never had EC at all?

[unblock]

8. actually, the electoral college is the closest thing to a way to have stopped donnie.

though the founders didn't expect selection of the electors, parties, traditions, and even state laws to render the independent judgment of the electoral college impotent.

[sarah FAILIN]

13. if it were not capped..

Clintons unrepresented voters would have whipped him. I've heard California would have 199 electors instead of 55 if representation was equal

[unblock]

16. Although we can't blame the founders for that one

They didn't put a limit on the size of the house. That was done by a law passed in 1911.

[Blaukraut]

3. run-off vote

[MarvinGardens]

11. +1 to this. nt

[Tommy_Carcetti]

4. Disqualify anyone with a reality show from running for President? nt

[Pachamama]

5. Recall process by the people?

[DanTex]

6. Election by popular vote. In other words, democracy.

[etherealtruth]

15. It would have stopped tRump, but not all those like him (incompetent, malevolent, deranged)

... but, if there was a truly democratic vote it would sure decrease the potential and the majority of the country would be behind her/him

[rickford66]

7. Create a fourth branch of government for the Justice Dept

[Motown_Johnny]

17. Or put the Justice Dept. under the Judicial Branch.

It would require a different structure than we have now, but you have an excellent point. With the Justice Department in the Executive Branch it allows a criminal President to have influence over the department investigating him/her.

[rickford66]

18. That would be like prosecuters and judges on the same team.

Judges couldn't be impartial. Just my thoughts.

[Motown_Johnny]

19. A good thought.

As I said the structure would need to be different than what we now have. I suppose you would also have public defenders within the same branch.

I'm not sure that a 4th branch of government for Justice is the right path though. It could attract the same type of people who now run for elected office, and we know what many of them are like.


Reforming the Justice Dept. does seem like a possible cure. I guess I was just thinking about how to avoid someone like Trump as POTUS. not the big picture. This does have me pondering the possibilities though.

[rickford66]

20. You can't beat honesty and empathy.

[Motown_Johnny]

22. But how do you legislate it? n/t

[rickford66]

23. You can't. That's why we're in deep doo doo for a long time.

[Spider Jerusalem]

9. Not created the bastard elective monarchy that they did

Strong presidential systems like the USA's inevitably succumb to one of two failure modes: the executive and legislative in the hands of different parties creating a crisis of democratic legitimacy, or a descent into authoritarianism.

[unblock]

10. nothing, really. the founders knew that institutions are only as good as the people in them.

they knew that should a like-minded people capture all the branches of government, checks and balances would be neutered and if it got too bad then the people would just have to revolt.

they were fine with the idea of revolution against tyranny.

[meow2u3]

12. A temperament test?

Or a basic civics test to root out authoritarians?

[Horse with no Name]

14. there needs to be another branch of government whose only function is

oversight.

It would have needed to remain non-partisan but in this climate, not sure how you would achieve that.

[Motown_Johnny]

21. Banned political parties outright.

Our two party system is broken. We would be better off without parties and within a system where a series of votes are taken to narrow the field until just 2 candidates remain. This would replace our current primary system and let people turn out to vote for whoever they feel is best without regard to party loyalty.

[BainsBane]

24. They took all kinds of measures to prevent this

The EC is supposed to be part of that. Allowing only propertied men to vote was another. There was no direct election of Senators, which were instead chosen by state legislatures.

One correction: The two party system is not a creation of the founding fathers. They--especially George Washington-- despised parties. They thought men should run on their merits. So the constitution was not written with a two party system in mind. That has developed over time.

A parliamentary system might have prevented this, but that is not what that created.

[crazycatlady]

25. A few things

First off-- qualifications for POTUS
Right now it stands at natural born US citizen and at least 35.

I would add the following
1) POTUS candidates have to pass the US citizenship test and release their test and results to the public
2) POTUS candidates have to release at least 5 years of tax returns
3) POTUS candidates have to undergo a psych eval by at least 3 different professionals. Results must be released to the public
4) POTUS candidates have to have some sort of experience as an elected official (could be low level like mayor)

Elections
If the electoral college is kept (I don't agree with it), it has to include a provision for a runoff election if the popular vote winner and EC winner are different

Congress
No term limits for congresscritters, but a retirement age instead (like some states have for judges). Make it between 70-75.

ETA a provision where registered sex offenders are ineligible to run for public office at any level.

[Freddie]

29. These are great ideas

Perhaps a years of service/rank military service criteria if the person has no elected office experience. Ike was a good President.

[Blue_Roses]

34. Great ideas!

Nt

[uponit7771]

26. ARREST COMEY AND BLOW UP RUSSIA !!!

[Quayblue]

27. Denounced slavery and rid of it eom

[dflprincess]

28. Worked things out with the king?

at least we would have had healthcare now.

[Freddie]

30. I envy the U.K.

With all their turmoil they still have the Queen. We have NO figure of stability right now.

[randr]

31. They would have slapped him silly, challenged him to a duel

and buried him in a beggers grave.

[Glamrock]

32. LEGISLATE NEWS BE FACTUAL!

Im all about the first amendment. But, if you call yourself news, you have to be truthful. I.E. : "Senate Republicans say the ACA could lead to death panels. However, that is a Heritage Foundation talking point and there is no evidence in the bill that cost controls would lead to that." See? Both sides are presented, as is the truth.

[bhikkhu]

33. You have to balance restriction of liberty against the ability of free men to choose idiots

I don't think the blame lies with the founding fathers.

[Quixote1818]

35. No money in politics - Each candidate gets the same amount to campaign on

It would have prevented this because we would have a Gov filled with mostly honest, honorable, sane people.


Never having allowed slavery is another one.

Requiring release of taxes but they didn't have income taxes back then I don't think.