# If the Republicans loose in 2016, would that be the end of the party as we know it?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-republicans-loose-in-2016-would-that-be-the-end-of-the-party-as-we-know-it/728716>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [August 24, 2015, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-republicans-loose-in-2016-would-that-be-the-end-of-the-party-as-we-know-it/728716 "2015-08-24T13:26:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-republicans-loose-in-2016-would-that-be-the-end-of-the-party-as-we-know-it/728716/61 "2015-08-26T14:22:09Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Quoth **adaher** :
> 
> That’s only true on paper. In practice, the President is rarely held accountable for agency failures, and thus the agency is not accountable to voters.

That’s because most agency failures are regarded by the public as not being a big deal, not something that it’s worth holding the President accountable for. In the few cases where it is a big deal, like heckuva job FEMA, the President is indeed held accountable.

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**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-republicans-loose-in-2016-would-that-be-the-end-of-the-party-as-we-know-it/728716/62 "2015-08-26T16:10:04Z")

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> [@adaher](#):
>
> Either the bureaucracy is subject to the voters’ will through the President or it isn’t. If it isn’t, we no longer live in a democracy.

The [federal civil service](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_federal_civil_service) has been in effect since 1871. Interesting to learn that I’ve never lived in a democracy…

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**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2015, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-republicans-loose-in-2016-would-that-be-the-end-of-the-party-as-we-know-it/728716/63 "2015-08-27T03:38:30Z")

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You don’t if you regard the President as not responsible for the performance of the executive branch.

Do you regard the President as accountable for everything that has happened under his watch in his branch of government?

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