Governor-General of the United States

	United States
	Governor-General

Governor-General —of the— United States
Alternate Seal
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Incumbent Tom Kirkman since 21 January 1735
United States Federal Executive
Style	[Mr] Governor-General (informal) [Mr] Governor (informal) Mr President (traditional) The Honorable (formal) The Honorable Sir (diplomatic, outside the USNA)
Type	Executive power
Status	Federal Head of Government Representative of the Federal Head of State
Member of	Federal Cabinet Federal Council
Residence	White House
Seat	2402 W TEXAS ST FCT · 94118-2800
Appointer	Electoral College
Term length	Four years, renewable once consecutively; eligible again after four-year respite
Constituting instrument	Constitution for the United States
Formation	1 January 1730
First holder	Robert Richmond
Deputy	President of the Senate and Lt Governor-General (currently Kimble Hookstraten)
Salary	US$ 125,000 annually (1735–)
Website	link://govgen.usna.gov
Footnotes a. ↑ From January 20, 1729, until March 4, 1731, the Powers and Duties of the Office of Governor-General were exercised by the President pro Tempore of the United States. b. ↑ The official/legal establishment of the Office of Governor-General is held to be January 1, 1730; however, until a Governor-General was chosen (November 5, 1730) and thereafter inaugurated (March 4, 1731), the Powers and Duties of the Office of Governor-General were to be exercised by the President pro Tempore of the United States. Incidentally, the effective establishment of the Office is understood to be when Robert Richmond was inaugurated as the first Governor-General of the United States.

The Governor-General of the United States, officially the Governor-General of the United States of North America, and occasionally "GOVGEN", is the Federal head of Government of the United States and President of the United States Federal Council (the collective Federal head of state of the United States). In his role as President of the U.S. Federal Council, the person serving as Governor-General carries out the duties and powers of, and represents, the Federal head of state (the Federal Council); and, as such, is traditionally known and referred to as the President of the United States.

Article II-C of the Federal Constitution establishes the Executive Department of the federal government. It vests the whole executive Power of the Union and Confœderacy in the Governor-General. This power includes the execution and enforcement of Federal Law, alongside the responsibility of appointing federal executive, diplomatic, regulatory and judicial officers, and concluding treaties arising under the legislative competence of the Union (Article II-B, sections 8(A) or 8(B), of the Federal Constitution) with foreign powers by and with the Advice and Consent of the U.S. Senate. The Governor-General is further empowered to grant federal pardons and reprieves, and to convene and adjourn either or both Houses of Congress under special circumstances. The Governor-General directs the foreign and domestic Policies of the United States within the legislative Competence of the Union, and takes an active role in promoting his party’s priorities to Members of Congress and the Federal Council. In addition, as part of the system of checks and balances, Article II-B, Section 7 of the Constitution gives the Governor-General the power to sign or veto federal legislation that arises under Article II-B, section 8(A); while federal legislation arising under Article II-B, section 8(B) is sent to the Federal Council for their consideration, which, if they approve, the Governor-General signs the bill in the name, and on behalf of, the Federal Council as a whole. Furthermore, the creation of administrative Rules (that is, the process by which federal Regulations and all other forms of federal administrative Laws are enacted) is subject to the final approval by the Governor-General-in-Council (the Governor-General acting by and with the Advice of the Federal Council) before they can be enforced or considered legally authoritative, in the same way that Bills passed by Congress must be presented to the Governor-General for approval in order to be adopted into Law.

The Governor-General leads the Executive part (branch) of the U.S. federal Government, presides ex officio over the U.S. Federal Council, and is the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Armed Forces. The person in this position is the de facto leader of a Republic with the largest economy and largest military, with command Authority over the largest active nuclear Arsenal in the World. The offices of Governor-General of the United States, President of the United American Republic, and President of the Russian Federation, are frequently described as being the three most-powerful Posts in the World. However, while the Authority of the Governor-General is impressive, the actual reach and scope of his Powers, when compared to other Heads of State or Government on Earth, are rather limited, as the size and scope of the body of Federal Law is limited to the enumerated Powers of the United States under the Federal Constitution. This arrangement is due to multiple past experiences of suffering and misery under runaway Federal executive power in the United States throughout their two-plus century existence.

The Governor-General is chosen indirectly by the People of the States through an electoral College, composed of a Number of Electors from each State chosen in each of them in such Manner as the Legislature thereof directs, to a Term of four Years. The Lieutenant Governor-General (officially the President of the Senate) is chosen on the same ticket as the Governor-General. The Governor-General and the Lieutenant Governor-General are the only Union-wide elected federal Officers.

The office of Governor-General was established on January 1, 1730, with the entry into force of the Constitution of 1730, but the office did not become active until March 4 of the second Year of the Constitution (1731). The post of Governor-General succeeded and replaced the office of President pro Tempore of the United States that existed under the Provisional Government of the United States, from December 25, 1729–March 4, 1731; Sharon Raydor of New Mexico was the only person to have served as President pro Tempore.

Origin

Main article: History of the Office of U.S. Governor-General

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Due to the imperial and increasingly-authoritarian nature of the Office of President of the United States beginning noticeably during the Wilson Presidency in the early 1600s up to the Office’s disestablishment in 1729 with the removal of the Underwood Regime, the permanent-successor Office –namely the Office of Governor-General– was designed to be much weaker and much more restrained in its Powers and Duties, with a more robust System of Checks and Balances to keep it within its actual grant of Power. To this end, the Powers and Duties of the United States’ new federal Executive were split between the Office of Governor-General and the new Federal Council. For example, while the Governor-General is the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Armed Forces, the development of the Union’s foreign, defense, and security Policies are vested solely in the Governor-General-in-Council, that is to say the Governor-General acting by and with the Advice of the Federal Council.

Powers and duties

The United States Governor-General is classified as a “weak, albeit unitary, executive” due to the various limits and constraints entrenched in the 1730 Constitution for the United States (also known as the “Constitutional Confederation”) against runaway Federal executive Power. The Governor-General does not have Power to unilaterally form or adopt the foreign or domestic Policies of the Union: those Powers rest with what is known as the Governor-General-in-Council, that is the Governor-General proposes, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Federal Council, forms and adopts said Policies.

Unlike the former posts of President of the United States, and President pro Tempore of the United States, the Governor-General is but the Federal head of government; this office is not synonymous with the titular role of Federal head of state. Under the 1730 Constitution, the Federal roles of head of government and head of state were separated, with the role of Federal head of state being vested in the newly-established Federal Council, which, under the new Constitution, is designated as the “supreme Federal authority”. In its plenary Configuration as composed of the thirty-six State Governors and the Governor-General, the Federal Council, collectively, is tasked with the role of Federal head of state: However, under their own regulations, the Federal Council have designated the Governor-General as their personal representative, and to exercise their Head of State functions on their behalf and under their direction and supervision. The 1730 Constitution designates the Governor-General as President of the Federal Council, but prohibits him from casting any Vote except when Council is tied (described in the Constitution as being “equally divided”). Furthermore, the Governor-General has no role in directing the Federal Council; his role as their President is to propose and, by and with their Advice and Consent, adopt their decisions. However, the Governor-General, both in that role and in his role as President of the Federal Council, does have two plenary powers on the Federal Council: He proposes to the Federal Council, and by and with their Advice and Consent, adopts the foreign and military policies of the United States; and the Union and the several States, respectively, insofar as to their respective Powers and Duties, each carry out those policies; The Territories, as encompassing aspects of both the Union and the States, carry out both Federal and State responsibilities in those Policies.

Thus, the Governor-General receives foreign dignitaries; accredits Ambassadors, Consuls, and other public Ministers in the name of the Federal Council from other States, Principalities, and Powers; Ambassadors, Consuls, and other public Ministers of foreign States, Principalities, and Powers are accredited to the Governor-General as personal Representative of the Federal Council; signs or vetoes Federal legislation –sometimes under the instruction of the Federal Council, depending on the subject matter embraced in the legislation; by and with the Advice and Consent of the Federal Council, forms and adopts the foreign and security Policy of the United States:—And, performs such other Roles or Duties as prescribed by the Federal Council. Powers and Duties vested personally in the Governor-General include, “preserving, protecting, and defending the Constitution of the United States, against all enemies, foreign and domestic”; serving as the Commander-in-Chief of the Military and Naval Forces of the United States, and of the Militia of the States when called into actual Federal service; superintending the various departments of the Executive branch through the various Heads of Department; superintending the Federal civil service; carrying on the Executive government of the United States; taking care that the Laws of the United States are faithfully executed throughout the Union and Confœderacy; nominating, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, appointing civil and military Officers of the United States, federal Judges, Ambassadors, Consuls, and other public Ministers; and ensuring the equal Application and Protection of Federal law to all Persons resident or present within the United States or any of their Possessions or Territories.

Article II-B legislative role

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Article II-C executive powers

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War and foreign affairs powers

As with the former President of the United States (1489–1729), the Governor-General of the United States is the Commander-in-Chief of the Military and Naval Forces of the United States; and also of the Militia of the respective States, but only when they are called into called into actual Federal service, in most cases subject to the approval of the State Governor, as Commander-in-Chief of the State Militia. However, the State Guards are not subject to Federalization.

Administrative powers

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Juridical powers

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Legislative facilitator

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Article II-E council role

President of the Federal Council

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Foreign and security policy powers

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Administrative powers

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Ceremonial roles

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Criticism

Main article: Criticism of the United States Governor-General

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Office of Governor-General

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Organization

Agencies and offices

• Office of Governor-General
  Governor-General: Thomas A. Kirkman
  • White House Secretariat | Secretary and
    Chief of Staff to the Governor-General: AABB
    White House Military Office
    Assistant, Military Affairs: AABB
    White House Counsel’s Office
    Counselor: AABB
    White House Communication Office
    Assistant, Public Information: AABB
    • Office for Public Relations
      Deputy Assistant, Public Information (Press): AABB
    • Office for Research
      Deputy Assistant, Public Information (Research): AABB
    White House Medical Unit
    Assistant, Medical Unit: AABB
    White House Mess
    Assistant, Mess: AABB
    White House Transport Office
    Assistant, Transport: AABB
    • Executive Airlift Group
      Commander, Executive Airlift Group: AABB
    • Marine Helicopter Squadron One
      Commander, Marine Helicopter Squadron One: AABB
    White House Staff Secretary’s Office
    Assistant, Staff Affairs: AABB
    • Office of Gubernatorial Correspondence
      Director: AABB
    • Office of Executive Clerk
      Executive Clerk: AABB
    Office of Management and Budget
    Assistant, Management and Budget: AABB

Selection process

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Eligibility

Pursuant to the Constitutional Confederation of 1730, “[n]o Person except a natural born Citizen of any of the united States shall be eligible to the Office of Governor-General; neither shall any person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within any of the united States” (U.S. Const. Confed’n., art. II-C, §1-C).

Campaigns and nomination

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Election and oath

Main articles: Gubernatorial-general elections in the United States, Electoral College (United States), Electoral College (United States) § by State, Gubernatorial-general Oath of Office (United States)

The Governor-General is chosen by an electoral College, composed of a Number of Electors from each State, chosen in each of them in such Manner as the Legislature thereof shall by Law direct: Currently, as prescribed in each State by their respective Laws, the Electors from each State are chosen by the People (Citizens) thereof.

Before the Governor-General-elect can enter into the Execution of the Office of Governor-General, he must take the following Oath or Affirmation:—“I do solemnly Swear (or Affirm) that I, with every Fiber of my Being, will Preserve, Protect and Defend the Constitution for the United States against all Enemies, foreign and domestic, and, in like Manner, Preserve, Protect, and Defend the Sovereignty, Independence, and Freedom of the several States which may be included within this Union and Confœderacy; that I will bear true Faith and Allegiance to the said Constitution; that I take this Obligation freely, without any mental Reservation or purpose of Evasion; and that I will Well and Faithfully discharge the Duties of the Office on which I am about to enter,” (U.S. Const. Confed’n., art. II-C, §1-E). If he refuses or otherwise fails to take the prescribed Oath of Office, by Law he forfeits his Office and the President of the U.S. Senate, as Lieutenant Governor-General, becomes Acting Governor-General until such Time as a new Governor-General is chosen, qualifies, and successfully takes the required Oath of Office.

Tenure and term limits

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Vacancy or disability

Further information: United States gubernatorial-general order of succession

See also: President of the United States Senate

In the event that the elected Governor-General is incapacitated, dead, or otherwise unable to execute the Powers and Duties of his Office, the Constitution specifies that the Powers and Duties of the Office of Governor-General are to devolve upon the President of the United States Senate in his capacity as Lieutenant Governor-General of the United States.

Compensation

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Post-governorship

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Timeline of Governors-General

Main article: List of United States Governors-General

See also: List of leaders of the United States

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See also

• President of the U.S. Federal Council (the Governor-General as)
• President of the United States Senate (as the Lieutenant Governor-General)
• Governors of the United States (chief Executives of the States and the United States)

Notes

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Footnotes

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