WI US adopts 1 year terms

Deleted member 97083

1-year terms might be too much turbulence in terms of government changing, as well as too much time waiting around for election/inauguration, to form an effective government.
 
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To do this, you would have to change the way our Presidents are elected, since having
the great hoopla that our Presidental elections have become every single freaking year would just be too much. Perhaps Congress would be given the job instead? Of course this would involve
amending the Constitution- & for that reason
this proposed change ever happening is now
completely ASB(the only time I could see
this system being adopted is early in our
history, & even then, only after Washington was no longer President)
 
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it would be impossible to get anything done legislatively
That was the entire point of the US Constitution. If it wasn't for the formation of political powers the Constitution wouldn't work as originally written. And that's the point of the Founding Fathers, keep the Federal government from doing too much and interfering. And I say this as an avowed liberal who hates states-rights and think Hamilton was right when he suggested states become simple districts.
 
That was the entire point of the US Constitution. If it wasn't for the formation of political powers the Constitution wouldn't work as originally written. And that's the point of the Founding Fathers, keep the Federal government from doing too much and interfering. And I say this as an avowed liberal who hates states-rights and think Hamilton was right when he suggested states become simple districts.

to an extent it's hard to make laws purposefully but not necessarily designed to cripple the legislature in general. a federal legislature was created with purpose, after all, otherwise they wouldn't have convened at all to replace the articles
 
The shortest set term for a political leader I can find is the President of the Swiss Confederation - which is a one year term. But this person is simply a member of a seven person council and ultimately the council is a collective Head of State. People can serve on the council for as long as they remain elected - for periods of four years by the assemblies - and usually the VP one year becomes President the next, and only four times have sitting members of the council been voted out. Could something like this have worked for the early US - after all the Swiss model has been ?

As an example - (and also attempting to include a clause where a President can't have the same VP more than once - which would theoretically allow for a fairly hefty number of combinations without any swap-outs)

April 30th 1789 - March 4th 1781 : President George Washington, VP John Adams
81/82 : President John Adams, VP Benjamin Franklin
82/83 : President Benjamin Franklin, VP Alexander Hamilton
83/84 : President Alexander Hamilton, VP John Jay
84/85 : President John Jay, VP Thomas Jefferson
85/86 : President Thomas Jefferson, VP Jame Madison
86/87 : President James Madison, VP George Washington

87/88 : President George Washington, VP Benjamin Franklin
88/89 : President Benjamin Franklin, VP John Jay
89/90 : President John Jay, VP James Madison
90/91 : President James Madison, VP John Adams

* - shortly after the commencement of James Madison's second term as President of the Continental Council, Council Member Benjamin Franklin dies. With a position vacant, the National Assembly of Representatives appoint James Monroe to the Continental Council.

91/92 : President John Adams, VP Alexander Hamilton
92/93 : President Alexander Hamilton, VP Thomas Jefferson
93/94 : President Thomas Jefferson, VP George Washington
94/95 : President George Washington, VP Alexander Hamilton
95/96 : President Alexander Hamilton, VP James Madison
96/97 : President James Madison, VP James Monroe
98/99 : President James Monroe, VP George Washington
99/00 (i) : President George Washington, VP John Jay
99/00 (ii) : President John Jay, John Adams

* - almost three quarters of the way though his fourth term as President of the Continental Council, Council Member George Washington dies. With a position vacant, the National Assembly of Representatives appoint John Quincy Adams to the Continental Council. He is the son of current Council Member, John Adams - an amendment to the Constitution is made that if two people of close relations are on the Continental Council at the same point, they may not serve as President/Vice President together. John Jay immediately commences his new tenure as President, finishes out Washington's term and then continues through his originally expected term.

00/01 : President John Adams, VP John Jay
01/02 : President John Jay, John Quincy Adams
02/03 : Presidnt John Quincy Adams, VP John Jay
03/04 : President John Jay, VP James Monroe
04/05 : President James Monroe, VP John Adams

* shortly after the commencement of James Monroe's second term as President of the Continental Council, Council Member Alexander Hamilton dies. The National Assembly of Reprentatives appoint Andrew Jackson to the Continental Council.

05/06 : President John Adams, VP Thomas Jefferson
 
Maybe have the Electoral College still elect the president as IOTL, but have the electors exclusively chosen by state legislatures? Although as was the problem with state legislatures electing senators, you'll make state legislature elections far too much about who they're voting for president, and not to mention, at the state level bribes and other corrupt dealings are much easier. Eventually many states will pass laws which require their electors to be determined based on referendum.

The only way I could see this working is if the President is a powerless figurehead and a "Prime Minister" does most of the duties of running the country.
 
It might work, if the President had to be a Senator, and kept his seat during the year of presidency. Constitutional Change and All.
 

SsgtC

Banned
Perhaps Congress would be given the job instead? Of course this would involve
amending the Constitution
It might work, if the President had to be a Senator, and kept his seat during the year of presidency. Constitutional Change and All.
You've both just described the Articles of Confederation. The President of the Congress, who was elected from among it's members, was referred to as the President of the United States and served as Head of State. Well, at least as much as the US had one during the time the Articles were in force.
 
You've both just described the Articles of Confederation. The President of the Congress, who was elected from among it's members, was referred to as the President of the United States and served as Head of State. Well, at least as much as the US had one during the time the Articles were in force.

Very true, but I am also imagining this president as having the executive authority of the Constitution.
 
Nothing gets done -- at election day the winner starts his campaign for the election in 10 months

Maybe have a rule where you can't hold elective office in consecutive years. So you govern while others campaign.

To prevent radical policy swings, require a law to pass in consecutive Congresses.
 
The biggest problem is that the US at the time was simply too large to be governed this way. When the response time can sometimes be measured in weeks a year term gives people time to move into the White House, shake a few hands, and move out.
 
It could actually reduce turnover, with such sort terms it would not be unreasonable for the President to want more than one and once you pop you can't stop.
 
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