The idea of a United States with a Parliamentary System fascinates many, but it's pretty hard to find a good PoD where it becomes possible. The Philadelphia Convention is too close to the Revolution for the Americans to adopt a normal parliamentary system. The anti-British sentiment at the time was too strong for the people to willingly adopt a system of government that was like their former master's.
The other option many people, including myself at times, look to is a second constitutional convention. Most of the time this constitutional convention must occur after a dramatic event, a loss in a war, or perhaps a very devastating war, such as the American Civil War. I think you can get a parliamentary government after the Civil War, but a second constitutional convention is too improbable, and much too messy. Instead, I think something a little more gradual works best.
The idea I've been playing around with involves the impeachment of Andrew Johnson. IOTL the proceedings were enough to grant congress greater power than they had possessed in such a long time. Even when Congress and the White House were both controlled by the same party, Congress was exercising more power than the President at times. Just imagine what might happen if the senate had decided to remove Johnson from office? This would be a serious power grab by congress, and it would shift the balance of power in the U.S. government for the foreseeable future.
Here's how I think things would go. You get one of the Republican Senators who voted not guilty on any of the Articles of Impeachment, and Johnson is removed from office, and probably also banned from holding any public office in the future. Since the vice presidency is vacant, this would mean that Speaker of the House, Schuyler Colfax, would become President.
The exact date the impeachment occurs could actually impact the Republican National Convention. If the senate convicts Johnson on May 16th, 1868, Colfax would ascend to the Presidency 4 days before the 1868 Republican National Convention. IOTL Colfax was nominated for the vice-presidency at the convention, which occurred between May 20-21. But if he becomes President before the convention, there would probably be a significant faction of the party that would choose to support the sitting president who managed to get the hated Johnson out of office. I don't think this would prevent Grant from getting the Presidential nomination, but Colfax isn't going to accept the vice-presidency after having served as President. There are a couple different avenues this could go down, but I'm gonna continue with this scenario.
Grant is still elected President in 1868, but he now has to face a much stronger congress than he did IOTL. With all of the corruption that was going on in the Grant Administration, Congress might be willing to take steps to further empower themselves, justifying it in the name of fighting corruption. The next step in getting a parliamentary system established in the U.S. is to pass an amendment that allows sitting congressmen to hold offices in both the legislative and executive branches simultaneously.
You can later also have the power to appoint cabinet positions given to the Speaker of the House through either an amendment to the laws creating those positions, or an amendment to the constitution if necessary.
That can eventually be followed up by passing an amendment that gives congress the power to change the date or intervals of elections.
By the end of the 19th century, the U.S. could become a parliamentary system of government, with a President who's powers are mostly limited to war time.
What are your thoughts on this? Is this too unrealistic?
The other option many people, including myself at times, look to is a second constitutional convention. Most of the time this constitutional convention must occur after a dramatic event, a loss in a war, or perhaps a very devastating war, such as the American Civil War. I think you can get a parliamentary government after the Civil War, but a second constitutional convention is too improbable, and much too messy. Instead, I think something a little more gradual works best.
The idea I've been playing around with involves the impeachment of Andrew Johnson. IOTL the proceedings were enough to grant congress greater power than they had possessed in such a long time. Even when Congress and the White House were both controlled by the same party, Congress was exercising more power than the President at times. Just imagine what might happen if the senate had decided to remove Johnson from office? This would be a serious power grab by congress, and it would shift the balance of power in the U.S. government for the foreseeable future.
Here's how I think things would go. You get one of the Republican Senators who voted not guilty on any of the Articles of Impeachment, and Johnson is removed from office, and probably also banned from holding any public office in the future. Since the vice presidency is vacant, this would mean that Speaker of the House, Schuyler Colfax, would become President.
The exact date the impeachment occurs could actually impact the Republican National Convention. If the senate convicts Johnson on May 16th, 1868, Colfax would ascend to the Presidency 4 days before the 1868 Republican National Convention. IOTL Colfax was nominated for the vice-presidency at the convention, which occurred between May 20-21. But if he becomes President before the convention, there would probably be a significant faction of the party that would choose to support the sitting president who managed to get the hated Johnson out of office. I don't think this would prevent Grant from getting the Presidential nomination, but Colfax isn't going to accept the vice-presidency after having served as President. There are a couple different avenues this could go down, but I'm gonna continue with this scenario.
Grant is still elected President in 1868, but he now has to face a much stronger congress than he did IOTL. With all of the corruption that was going on in the Grant Administration, Congress might be willing to take steps to further empower themselves, justifying it in the name of fighting corruption. The next step in getting a parliamentary system established in the U.S. is to pass an amendment that allows sitting congressmen to hold offices in both the legislative and executive branches simultaneously.
You can later also have the power to appoint cabinet positions given to the Speaker of the House through either an amendment to the laws creating those positions, or an amendment to the constitution if necessary.
That can eventually be followed up by passing an amendment that gives congress the power to change the date or intervals of elections.
By the end of the 19th century, the U.S. could become a parliamentary system of government, with a President who's powers are mostly limited to war time.
What are your thoughts on this? Is this too unrealistic?
