Congratulations Mr or Mrs President!

[samsmart]

Start a war with New Zealand for lulz.

Imagine how torn Bret and Jermaine would be if that happened.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

I will wear a suit of bacon.....mmmmm bacon

 

[RadicalModerate]

Social
1) I would unilaterally end the War on Drugs via executive order and retask the Drug Enforcement Agency to be a regulatory administration to aid in the coordination of recreational drug policy throughout the different states who have different recreational drug policies.

2) I would use executive order to allow all federal civil servants to decide one other person to share in their benefits this. They can do this whether or not they are married to the other person and whether or not they are of the same or opposite sex. In fact, a civil servant could even choose a family member, such as an elderly parent to share in their benefits package.

Economic
1) I would push for a Constitutional amendment prohibiting the borrowing of funds paid into Social Security.

2) I would push for the creation of guilds to set minimum work standards and minimum wages rather than unions.

Law Enforcement
1) I would create a separate law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security to crack down on human trafficking.

2) I would split the Department of Homeland Security so that it retained its anti-terrorist tasks but its emergency management tasks would be delegated to the new Department of Emergency Management. I would also create for each departments a separate academy to train agents for both, similar to the FBI Academy.

Military
1) I would enact a military officer exchange program with the nations of our allied countries so that more American female military officers may lead combat operations in order to develop a corps of battle-hardened female officers who will be able to eventually lead the way for women to serve in combat in all aspects in the American military.

2) I would try to establish a "manorial" strategy in Afghanistan in which our military holds several cities and try to keep the peace there rather than trying to conquer the whole country. This way, peace will spread organically from those points rather than having it imposed on them and risk the lives of our soldiers that way.

3) I would create a better standard of pay-outs for government defense contractors.

Foreign Policy
1) I would call for Congress to implement a "human rights" tax on all imported goods. If a country is guilty of human rights abuses then their cheaper goods will be taxed to a level on which a non-abusive government would allow. This way, abusive governments will either be forced to reform or all of our economic wealth will instead support those nations who pay extra for a civilized government.

2) I would call for an amendment establishing a formal head-of-state separate from the Presidency. As President, I will be so busy performing my duties as head-of-government I may not have adequate time for all my functions as head-of-state. Therefore, I will call for a separate position of head-of-state who can tend to the majority of those duties.

Education
1) I would revamp the Department of Education to be more of a national administration for students than as a way to set national standards for education.

2) I would call for a program that allows the federal government to pay for the education of any college graduate who teaches in public high school.

3) I would call for local school boards to revamp their school schedules to better suit the needs of students and parents. For instance, school itself will start and end later in the day, although there will be programs in the morning and afternoon to oversee kids for parents with odd work schedules.

4) I would push for public high schools to differentiate between academic high schools and technical high schools. Those who are good at academics can study for those things. Those who aren't get the opportunity to study a wide variety of technical job skills to make them very useful in the practical work force.

5) I would create a federal program in which high school students get paid for their grades. Throughout high school, each student receives 10% in cash every semester based on their grades for that semester. The rest of the money can then be used to defer the cost of college, whether it be a university, a technical school, or community college. If a person has 20 years after they turn 18 to use this money. If they do not, then can instead put it towards the funds of an heir that they designate.

Agriculture
1) I would try to push forward technological advances in agriculture, such as hydroponics and aeroponics, to develop these systems. These would be done through government loans.

2) I would retask many of the decommissioned factories in the Rust Belt to be used as hydroponic and aeroponic farms. This way, our economy can develop along techno-agrarian lines. These would be done through government loans.

Transportation
1) I would mandate via executive order that all roads that receive federal funding also include separate sidewalks and bike paths.

2) I would push forward the building of intra-state rail lines between major urban centers with stops for suburban and rural areas.

Energy
1) I would mandate via executive order that all government housing paid for with federal funds be furnished with energy efficiency technologies, such as solar panels and small wind turbines.

2) I would mandate via executive order that all federal government offices be equipped with renewable energy technologies.

Veterans Affairs
1) I would create better social programs for soldiers returning from a war to help them readjust to life in the United States.

2) A part of this program would be to create "veterans townships" in which veterans returning will be able to voluntarily congregate together until they feel mentally, emotionally, and socially ready to be more of a part of civilian society. While there they can get the psychological help they need to readjust.

I like the way you think, samsmart!

 

[Risky Thicket]

Social
1) I would unilaterally end the War on Drugs via executive order and retask the Drug Enforcement Agency to be a regulatory administration to aid in the coordination of recreational drug policy throughout the different states who have different recreational drug policies.

2) I would use executive order to allow all federal civil servants to decide one other person to share in their benefits this. They can do this whether or not they are married to the other person and whether or not they are of the same or opposite sex. In fact, a civil servant could even choose a family member, such as an elderly parent to share in their benefits package.

Excellent!

Economic
1) I would push for a Constitutional amendment prohibiting the borrowing of funds paid into Social Security.

2) I would push for the creation of guilds to set minimum work standards and minimum wages rather than unions.

Yes, on 1 and I'd like to know more about 2, but it sounds promising.

Law Enforcement
1) I would create a separate law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security to crack down on human trafficking.

2) I would split the Department of Homeland Security so that it retained its anti-terrorist tasks but its emergency management tasks would be delegated to the new Department of Emergency Management. I would also create for each departments a separate academy to train agents for both, similar to the FBI Academy.

No problems with that.

Military
1) I would enact a military officer exchange program with the nations of our allied countries so that more American female military officers may lead combat operations in order to develop a corps of battle-hardened female officers who will be able to eventually lead the way for women to serve in combat in all aspects in the American military.

2) I would try to establish a "manorial" strategy in Afghanistan in which our military holds several cities and try to keep the peace there rather than trying to conquer the whole country. This way, peace will spread organically from those points rather than having it imposed on them and risk the lives of our soldiers that way.

3) I would create a better standard of pay-outs for government defense contractors.

I remained unconvinced that women should be in most combat roles.

I would withdraw from the Mid East, Africa, South America and a few more places. I'd downsize the military.

Foreign Policy
1) I would call for Congress to implement a "human rights" tax on all imported goods. If a country is guilty of human rights abuses then their cheaper goods will be taxed to a level on which a non-abusive government would allow. This way, abusive governments will either be forced to reform or all of our economic wealth will instead support those nations who pay extra for a civilized government.

2) I would call for an amendment establishing a formal head-of-state separate from the Presidency. As President, I will be so busy performing my duties as head-of-government I may not have adequate time for all my functions as head-of-state. Therefore, I will call for a separate position of head-of-state who can tend to the majority of those duties.

Yes on 1 and not sure on 2. I would ask Congress to repeal the War Powers Act and revert to the Constitution giving only Congress the authority to declare war. I would ask that the definition of "war" to be debated and determined by Congress.

I would establish a Department of Peace with a cabinet level director.

Education
1) I would revamp the Department of Education to be more of a national administration for students than as a way to set national standards for education.

2) I would call for a program that allows the federal government to pay for the education of any college graduate who teaches in public high school.

3) I would call for local school boards to revamp their school schedules to better suit the needs of students and parents. For instance, school itself will start and end later in the day, although there will be programs in the morning and afternoon to oversee kids for parents with odd work schedules.

4) I would push for public high schools to differentiate between academic high schools and technical high schools. Those who are good at academics can study for those things. Those who aren't get the opportunity to study a wide variety of technical job skills to make them very useful in the practical work force.

5) I would create a federal program in which high school students get paid for their grades. Throughout high school, each student receives 10% in cash every semester based on their grades for that semester. The rest of the money can then be used to defer the cost of college, whether it be a university, a technical school, or community college. If a person has 20 years after they turn 18 to use this money. If they do not, then can instead put it towards the funds of an heir that they designate.

Good start. God knows the Department of Education is a bloated nightmare. I'm not certain that it needs to be abolished, but it damn sure needs serious revamping and downsizing.

Agriculture
1) I would try to push forward technological advances in agriculture, such as hydroponics and aeroponics, to develop these systems. These would be done through government loans.

2) I would retask many of the decommissioned factories in the Rust Belt to be used as hydroponic and aeroponic farms. This way, our economy can develop along techno-agrarian lines. These would be done through government loans.

I would repeal recent laws regarding the criminalization of small farmers growing and selling or trading food, and selling or giving away or trading seeds.

Establish a Food Consumer Agency.

Transportation
1) I would mandate via executive order that all roads that receive federal funding also include separate sidewalks and bike paths.

2) I would push forward the building of intra-state rail lines between major urban centers with stops for suburban and rural areas.

We would be wise to work toward the establishment of extensive and efficient rail systems like the systems in Europe.

Energy
1) I would mandate via executive order that all government housing paid for with federal funds be furnished with energy efficiency technologies, such as solar panels and small wind turbines.

2) I would mandate via executive order that all federal government offices be equipped with renewable energy technologies.

Bravo! Further I would heavily subsidize solar energy technology in existing and new homes. It would and should be a new, huge growth industry for America. It would add many jobs to the economy and it would measurably decrease America's carbon footprint.

Veterans Affairs
1) I would create better social programs for soldiers returning from a war to help them readjust to life in the United States.

2) A part of this program would be to create "veterans townships" in which veterans returning will be able to voluntarily congregate together until they feel mentally, emotionally, and socially ready to be more of a part of civilian society. While there they can get the psychological help they need to readjust.

Bravo, again! No 2. is hugely needed. Great idea!

 

[SmokeAndMirrors]

Congratulations! You've just won the general election by a comfortable margin, you are the President-elect and you take office in a couple of days' time. I want to know what the first three things you would do to stamp your mark on the country. What are your top 3 political priorities and the items on your manifesto that take top billing.

If you're American, imagine you're the POTUS. If you're not, imagine that you have just won your own country's GE.

Will your priorities be social, economic, constitutional, diplomatic? Let your imagination run free with the keys to the kingdom!

1. Across-the-board spending cuts, in proportion to how much fat can be cut, and whether the program is actually needed. Raising taxes for everyone in proportion to income (very little for the poor, more for the rich but never up and over 50% regardless of income).

2. Start the wheels on a public option for health care. Everyone will be covered completely by public health if they need it within a decade. Encourage the private sector to compete (making specialized plans highly affordable as they are in most public health countries).

3. Completely dismantle No Child Left Behind, and get rid of the standardized test education culture (once every other year tops). Increase diversity in teaching, catering to a number of kinds of students by encouraging teachers to creating unique curriculum, and districts in having unique programs for special needs/alternative/gifted children that are novel and effective. Measure this by student satisfaction after 5th grade (kids know who the teachers who made them think are and they are usually the most popular - they're up to it). Prior to that, open to suggestion on how to evaluate it.

My agenda would be 50 miles long, but I think these are the most pressing issues. Major military spending would be cut as per #1, but my military plan itself would probably be a process spread out over time and dependent upon the results of the preceding step.

 

[Renae]

My eyes can't possibly roll that far back.

Do you even know what the 14th and 17th amendments are?

 

[Renae]

Actually, the only one of those things you could unilaterally do as President is rescind Obama's executive orders. For the rest you would need Congress to work with you.

But I think we all get your points.

Those would be my goals to see happen.