| #2 The growth of power of the executive can be tagged to the assumption of an international role in the world after WWII. We pretty much demobilized at the end of '45. It was the 'Berlin Crisis' in 48 that triggered the peacetime draft and growing world commitments that required executive authority be expanded (re: national security). In 1960, the defense budget constituted nearly half the US budget. With everything being rationalized as 'national security' stuff started creeping into all corners and wedges that would grow into new expanded areas needing 'executive' attention. Throw in the 'Great Society' funded on the Social Security tax surplus as extracted from pay checks and the race was on for even more 'executive' power. Remember payroll tax withholding was a WWII introduction that somehow was not dropped at the end of that national security event. Lots of money, lots of rationalization because of entangling alliances on the world stage. It was only a matter of time. There is no 'right' person because in the end it corrupts. Like the Romans, we've traded the republic for playing in the international stage for which either the Latin city state constitution or the original American Constitution were never designed to sustain. |