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25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do - Foreign Affairs - Nairaland

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25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 12:25am On Sep 23, 2016
Use an iPhone

President Obama went on Jimmy Kimmel in 2015 and explained that he still uses a blackberry because the President can’t use any phone that contains a recording device.

http://list25.com/25-things-the-president-of-the-us-cant-actually-do/1/
Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 12:27am On Sep 23, 2016
Earn Income Outside of Government Salary

Any investments a President has go into a blind trust (meaning they have no idea how assets are managed) until he or she leaves office.
Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 12:29am On Sep 23, 2016
Break The Law



The POTUS is subject to the laws of the land – such as not lying under oath – like the average citizen. Should he or she break those laws, the House has the right to vote for Impeachment, and the Senate has the right to try those cases like a court.
Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 12:30am On Sep 23, 2016
Add or Reduce Welfare Programs

Welfare reform of any kind has to be passed either as law or as part of a budget, meaning it must go through Congress first. While the president can and often does propose these laws, he or she alone cannot enact or enforce them.  Congress consists of two parts: The Senate, and The House Of Representatives. Each state also has it’s own individual Congress to vote on statewide issues
Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 12:31am On Sep 23, 2016
Use Executive Orders To Do Whatever They Want

In the 1950’s, President Truman tried to take control of the nation’s Steel Mills to prevent a strike (Youngstown vs. Sawyer). The SCOTUS determined that the president lacked the authority to seize control of the US steel industry. If the POTUS oversteps his or her bounds of power, the people or Congress have a right to petition the SCOTUS to make a ruling on the Executive Order in question.
Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 12:33am On Sep 23, 2016
Freely Open Borders

Laws passed as far back as 1921 limit the number of immigrants legally allowed into the US each year. The President along with Congress determines the maximum amount of refugees fleeing foreign nations allowed in each year.
Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 12:33am On Sep 23, 2016
Take Away Social Security Payments

Some candidates may propose laws to increase payments or tax them differently, but these are all a part of a budget that must be passed by congress. Americans pay into the system, and when they retire, they get a monthly stipend, period. There’s lots of talk about “Social Security running out!” but when that’s projected to happen – in 2037 – it merely means that current payments will be reduced by around 10%, and there’s still lots of time for Congress to pass budgets that make up that difference
Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 12:34am On Sep 23, 2016
Drive

Despite being one of the most powerful people in the world, sitting and former Presidents are strongly discouraged from driving by the Secret Service, and when they do get the keys, it’s only in very controlled situations like a golf course.
Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by Nobody: 12:35am On Sep 23, 2016
What about Nigeria?

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Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 12:36am On Sep 23, 2016
Repeal or Enforce Common Core or Any Other Federal Standard for Education.

States have an individual right to adopt or reject any federal education guidelines like No Child Left Behind or Common Core. While this may affect any federal funding they receive, each individual state has the right to opt into federal standards or keep their own.
Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 12:37am On Sep 23, 2016
Completely Forgive Student Loan Debt

Even Obama’s loan forgiveness program requires most people to make 10-20 years worth of monthly payments before forgiving the debt, and that’s if you qualify. Student Debt isn’t going to magically poof away, regardless of who is elected in November.

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Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by adextetoo(m): 12:37am On Sep 23, 2016
If only buhari will read this
If only Aisha will tell buhari about this
If only Femi adesina will show baba bubu this
If only......

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Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 12:39am On Sep 23, 2016
Interpret Laws or The Constitution

Does the 1st amendment cover free speech on the internet or no? That judgment is not up to the President. It’s actually up to the SCOTUS (Supreme Court Of The United States), the Judicial Branch of the Federal Government. This is the highest court in the land as the name implies, and it has the final say on interpreting what a law means. The President has no say in these judgments.
Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 12:39am On Sep 23, 2016
Choose Members of the SCOTUS on their own

The Supreme Court is a lifetime appointment, meaning that once appointed, a Judge is in for the rest of his or her life unless they choose to retire. Having to replace members is a somewhat rare but serious matter as they’ll hold position longer than the President. Judge Antonin Scalia, who passed away early in 2016, was appointed by Ronald Reagan and approved by the Senate in 1986. While the President does have the job of nominating someone, that nomination has to be approved through the Senate, and they have the power to reject a Presidential nomination.

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Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 12:40am On Sep 23, 2016
Legalize Medical Marijuana

In order for this to happen, Marijuana would have to be reclassified by the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) from a Schedule I (controlled substance, no medical use) drug to a Schedule II (for medical use but have a high risk of abuse) drug. The DEA recently confirmed they won’t be doing that anytime in 2016. States still have the power to allow marijuana for medical and recreational use on a state by state basis
Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 12:42am On Sep 23, 2016
Legalize / Criminalize Abortion or Any Other Controversial Medical Procedure

Choices for things like abortion (including when during pregnancy a woman could have an abortion) and medically assisted suicide for terminally ill patients rests with individual States, not the Oval Office.
Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 12:43am On Sep 23, 2016
Halt Deportations or Grant Amnesty to All Illegal Immigrants

President Obama himself has tried to place a temporary ban on deportations of illegal immigrants living in the US via Executive Order, and it was blocked by the SCOTUS.
Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 12:44am On Sep 23, 2016
Formally Declare War

That power actually rests with Congress, and Congress alone. It is not shared with The President, though the sitting President must sign the Declaration of War.

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Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 12:45am On Sep 23, 2016
Change the Tax Code

Tax Reform (a change to the Federal Tax Code for individuals or businesses) has to go through Congress before becoming law. Even then, it can be years before it takes effect.

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Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 12:45am On Sep 23, 2016
Alter or Amend the Constitution

Our constitution can only be changed via a Constitutional Amendment, which can be initiated by a State or by Congress, but must THEN have a two-thirds vote in Congress before going on to the States, at which point it must have three-fourths of the states agree on the proposed Amendment. In other words, the majority of elected Representatives at a Federal and State level must agree and pass the Amendment. So far, this has only happened 27 times.
Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 12:46am On Sep 23, 2016
Change Things on a Local Level

If you care about local taxes, your police department, how the school district is run, what green initiatives are happening in your own area, or drug legalization, you’ll want to make sure you vote down ballot (also known as voting down ticket) because the more local the issue, the further down the ballot (the vote for President being at the top). Your city’s Chief of Police, head of the School Board, or statewide green energy laws may affect your day to day life just as much if not more than who’s elected as President, so it’s worth taking the time to educate yourself on local elections. It is possible to vote down ballot and leave the vote for President blank.

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Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 12:48am On Sep 23, 2016
Seize All Firearms in the Possession of Private Citizens

A lot of buzz is going around about which candidate is pro or anti second amendment, or about new Gun Control. The President (or local police/military acting on his or her behalf) cannot seize anyone’s firearms, even during a nationwide State of Emergency, without legal reason or cause.
Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 12:49am On Sep 23, 2016
Make Gay Marriage Illegal Again

In June of 2015, SCOTUS ruled that gay marriage is a constitutional right. In order for it to change, there would need to be a challenge in lower courts bumped up to the SCOTUS once again to make another ruling with different members.

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Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 12:49am On Sep 23, 2016
Authorize Additional Funding for NASA

While the president can propose acts and budgets and talk about the US goals for space travel, the power of NASA funding lies ultimately with Congress as do all budgetary issues.
Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by Nobody: 3:53am On Sep 23, 2016
RoyalBlak007:
Formally Declare War

That power actually rests with Congress, and Congress alone. It is not shared with The President, though the sitting President must sign the Declaration of War.
This true, according to Article 1 of the US constitution and the War Powers Act of 1973.

However, in practice, the president has the unilateral power to order a retaliatory nuclear strike in the event of such a strike against the US. In other words, the nuclear arsenal are truly the president's personal weapons.

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Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by Julietcutie(f): 7:29am On Sep 23, 2016
someone should show PMB
Re: 25 Things The President Of The United States Of America Can't Do by RoyalBlak007: 8:14pm On Sep 24, 2016
CFCman:

This true, according to Article 1 of the US constitution and the War Powers Act of 1973.

However, in practice, the president has the unilateral power to order a retaliatory nuclear strike in the event of such a strike against the US. In other words, the nuclear arsenal are truly the president's personal weapons.

True

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