re: #287 Nerdy Fish

The United States is more the exception rather than the rule in that the head of government and the head of state are the same office/person.

We are also not a parliamentary system.

One of the things that led to Hitler’s rapid accession to power is that the Presidency was made very strong, because the Monarchists had an eye to reinstating a Kaiser.

Hitler as Chancellor had very limited powers, which is why the other parties thought that they had him effectively “sidelined”.

But when Hindenburg died (after having signed the Enabling Act), he simply declared that there was nobody who could possibly fill his shoes and left the office vacant while permanently assuming all the powers granted to him through the Enabling Act.