Another major question facing the delegates concerned who would head the new government's executive branch. Early in the convention, Charles Pinckney urged the creation of a “vigorous executive. ” James Wilson followed with a proposal that a single person serve as the chief executive.

A sudden silence fell over the convention. The very idea of a single executive brought to mind unhappy memories of King George III. Wilson broke the silence by explaining that good government depends on clear, timely, and responsible leadership. Such leadership, he said, is most likely to be found in a single person.

One Executive or Three?

Edmund Randolph of Virginia disliked this proposal, preferring a three-member executive drawn from different parts of the country. Three people, he argued, could lead the country better than one.

Benjamin Franklin opposed a single executive for different reasons. “The first man put at the helm will be a good one,” said Franklin, thinking of George Washington. “Nobody knows what sort may come afterwards. ” The next chief executive, he cautioned, might be overly ambitious or too “fond of war. ”

In spite of these objections, the framers agreed to a single executive, to be called the president.  To keep this leader from becoming too king-like, they limited the president's term to four years, with a vice president who was also to be elected to fill that term if the president died in office.

Choosing the Chief Executive

 Equally troubling was the issue of how to choose the chief executive since some delegates wanted Congress to appoint the president. Gouverneur Morris, however, objected, arguing that the president “must not be made the flunky of the Congress. It must not be able to say to him: ‘You owe your appointment to us.'”

Several delegates thought that the people should elect the president, but Madison argued that voters would naturally vote for someone from their own state.  As a result, this method would not be fair to candidates from small states.

Still others suggested that the president be elected by a specially chosen group of “electors” from each state.  Such a group, they felt, would be able to look beyond state interests to make a wise choice for the entire country.

​Monday we will discover what decision the framers made about how to elect the President! (I bet you can't wait)