by Jake Dalton

Created on: November 12, 2007

"A Bill of Rights is what the people are entitled to against every government, and what no just government should refuse, or rest on inference." - Thomas Jefferson

Is the presidential veto helpful to democracy? Is the executive powers self-given right more powerful than the words of the people they are supposed to represent? Does a president have the right to veto a bill that millions of Americans and politicians worked voiced their opinion in favor of the bill? No, the presidential veto is not helpful to democracy at all. The presidential veto is an obstruction to democracy.

Democracy is the greek word for "rule by the people" and was the government of the Greek city-state Athens. In today's democracy, however, our government is run like a republic, where only a few people have any impact on what happens in our government. The presidential veto demonstrates this more than any other example that can be presented. The president can personally veto any measure that he deems are not what the American people want. Unfortuantely, this also includes bills that could greatly help many Americans (such as health care bills and timelines to get soldiers out of wars) and bills that could completely boost our economic situation. Their is no better example of why the presidential veto does not help democracy than America's current president, George Bush.

George Bush has proven throughly that the presidential veto is ineffective in democracy. While most Americans want our troops out of the senseless war in Iraq, George Bush vetoes every bill that attempts to get them out. When many Americans believe that better healthcare should be given to children in the United States, George Bush vetoes that bill. George Bush demonstrates time and time again how absolutely non-democratic the idea of the presidential veto is. George Bush has throughly ignored the people of this country and acted upon his own personal ideas. The presidential veto denies the people its right.

The presidential veto demonstrates the true nature of the government we are in. America has become a republic, no longer influenced at all by the people. The only influence at all we have anymore on government is who is our senator and representative in Congress. The presidential election is now determined by electoral votes, despite the popular vote (also demonstrated by King George the 2nd) and our senators and representatives determine electoral votes. The people now have no say in the governments policy and actions. This demonstrates throughly the reasons why we have transformed into a republic.

Republic is defined by the people of that state or country (or at least a part of that people) have impact on its government. When only part of the people in the United States has power to impact the government (approx. 535 people) and the president can act autonomously to denie a bill approved by those 535 people, we are no longer a democratic government. America's system that we set up since the end of the 18th century has betrayed the people of the U.S. and our apathy towards these facts have allowed such an atrocity to slip by.

The presidential veto does not bolster democracy, it tears it down. It denies the rights that was guarenteed to us by our fore fathers and made us powerless to defend our ideas. The people have spoken many times and raised their voices to have bills be approved by the Senate, only to be turned down at the will of our president. This demonstrates now how much we are in need of a new system of government in the United States. We must let our voices be heard and fight the concept of presidential veto.

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