Heads of state are the symbolic chief of a rustic. A few of them, like King Charles III of the UK, perform largely ceremonial roles today. Others, like Saudi Arabian King Salman, are absolute monarchs and concerned in governing the nation’s day-to-day actions and insurance policies. It additionally implies that the Saudi monarch will get to do no matter he needs with out a lot consequence from others.
In america, the president is each the top of state and head of presidency. The top of presidency works with legislators and meets with different world leaders to barter agreements and navigate conflicts, amongst different tasks.
Some presidents, like Jimmy Carter, acquired so slowed down within the specifics that the nighttime comedy present “Saturday Night Live” made enjoyable of it in 1977. “SNL” spoofed Carter responding in excessive, mundane element to a query about fixing a submit workplace’s letter sorting machines.
As a political scientist who research American presidents, I see that President Donald Trump loves the facility and status that comes with being head of state, however doesn’t appear to significantly benefit from the accountability of being head of presidency.
Trump hardly ever talks in regards to the often-tedious strategy of governing, and as an alternative acts with governance by decree by signing a flurry of govt orders to keep away from working with different elements of the federal government. He has additionally likened himself to a king, writing on Feb. 19, 2025, “Long Live the King!”
As a lot as Trump loves internet hosting sports activities groups and speaking about paving over the White Home’s rose backyard in a transforming venture, he appears to begrudgingly settle for the position of head of presidency.
President Donald Trump is pushed across the monitor previous to the Daytona 500 in Daytona Seaside, Fla., on Feb. 16, 2025.
Chris Graythen/Getty Photographs
‘You have to be thankful’
Trump revels in social occasions the place he’s heralded as a very powerful particular person within the room. On Feb. 9, 2025, Trump grew to become the primary sitting president to attend a Tremendous Bowl. Every week later, he attended the Daytona 500 at Daytona Seaside, Florida, the place his limousine led drivers in finishing a ceremonial lap.
Trump’s choice for serving as head of state and never head of presidency was on full show throughout his now notorious Feb. 28, 2025, White Home assembly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Within the televised Oval Workplace assembly, Trump repeatedly informed Zelenskyy, “You have to be thankful.”
Trump was demanding deference from Zelenskyy to point out his inferior and submissive place as a recipient of U.S. help and navy help. These are mannerisms of absolute kings, not elected officers.
Governing by means of govt orders
The start of Trump’s second time period in workplace has been stuffed with bulletins of adjustments – principally by means of govt actions. The Trump administration has ordered the Pentagon to cease cyber operations towards Russia and fired a whole lot of workers on the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The administration has additionally closed the Social Safety Administration’s civil rights workplace and, amongst many different issues, named the president chair of the Kennedy Middle, a efficiency arts venue in Washington.
Trump has enacted coverage adjustments nearly solely by means of govt orders, as an alternative of working with Congress on laws.
Government orders shouldn’t have to be negotiated with the legislative department and may be written by a small workforce of advisers and accepted by presidents. Inside the first six weeks, Trump has signed greater than 90 govt orders. By comparability, former President Joe Biden signed 162 govt orders throughout his 4 years in workplace.
Lots of Trump’s govt orders are being challenged in courtroom, and a few have been discovered to possible not be constitutional.
Extra importantly, Trump’s successor can flip govt orders into confetti right away, merely with a signature. Trump himself has signed at the least two govt orders that rescind over 60 earlier govt orders, principally signed by Biden.
The truth that Trump has eliminated nearly all of Biden’s govt orders highlights how the orders can create change for a second, or a number of years. However in the case of long-term coverage change, congressional motion is required.
President Donald Trump signed a sequence of govt orders on the White Home on March 6, 2025.
Alex Wong/Getty Photographs
Trump will get bored
Early in Trump’s first time period in 2017, the administration deliberate themed weeks referred to as “Made in America” and “American Heroes,” for instance, to emphasise adjustments it meant to pursue.
Trump’s workers launched, stopped after which relaunched a themed infrastructure week seven occasions in 2019. This occurred after Trump repeatedly derailed infrastructure occasions to concentrate on a extra fascinating occasion or subject, starting from defending his feedback that appeared to counsel help for white supremacists to discussing the reboot of Roseanne Barr’s sitcom.
In his second time period, Trump has farmed out many head of presidency duties to different folks, notably billionaire Elon Musk, who’s main the brand new so-called Division of Authorities Effectivity. By mid-February 2025, Trump gave Musk, who holds the title of particular authorities worker, oversight for hiring selections at each governmental company.
However as DOGE has initiated widespread cuts at totally different authorities businesses and workplaces in an effort to trim authorities waste, Musk has reportedly clashed with Trump’s cupboard members. This consists of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in addition to different unbiased businesses funded by Congress.
Authorities businesses, funding recipients and others are pushing again towards the cuts and at occasions are succeeding in getting courtroom rulings that halt the dismissal of presidency staff, or reinstate different staff at their jobs.
Trump additionally appears to have abdicated most accountability of paperwork to others by permitting Musk’s workforce unprecedented entry to delicate authorities applications and paperwork that embrace folks’s private info.
Absolute kings, queens, emperors and dictators are heads of state who demand obedience as a result of they maintain the nation of their grip.
Presidents from elected democracies might, as within the case of the U.S., have a ceremonial facet to the job, however it’s only part of it. The folks democratically elect American presidents to serve everybody and supply the perfect authorities potential.
