In order to maximize the US President’s attention to governing the country, politicking for reelection should be taken out of the equation. All presidents do this to some extent, but Trump has taken it to a new level, thus emphasizing the need for a change. Almost as soon as he took over the White House, Trump started flying around the country for reelection rallies. Since every presidential trip costs the taxpayers about $3 million, these self-promotion junkets cost the taxpayers a lot of money. Small potatoes in the grand scheme of trillion-dollar budgets you say? Then why can’t the feds pay a little more for homeless shelters?
But the unfair use of taxpayer money is not the main issue. The important issue is how a President’s actions can be influenced by how they might affect reelection. Ideally, policy and horse trading should only have the country’s interest at heart. But Trump has taken reelection considerations to a new level using earth-shattering issues such as abortion, immigration, race, education, and taxes to court voters for his next election. All presidents have done this; Trump just makes it more obvious.
The easiest way to ensure a President has an eye on the right ball is to prevent a second term. In place of two 4 year terms, allow only 1 term but extend it to 6 years. This should be enough time for a president to develop and pursue substantive policy (assuming partisan paralysis some day will die down). Perhaps even allow a second 6 year term, but just not contiguous to the first term. That way, a reelection will not be on the taxpayers nickel and a president would need to be truly gangbuster to try it.
Unfortunately, a longer term could give more time and opportunity for an abusive president to abuse the office. Impeachment is the counterbalance to that, but judging from the recent one, that process sorely needs improvement, including the elimination of partisanship, to be effective.
Of course, a change this dramatic is just a pipe dream considering the federal government can’t even get something as fundamental as infrastructure done. But as long as we’re dreaming, we also might consider campaign financing, the electoral college, and voting suppression.