Is a Tsar Unconstitutional in America?

Answer 1

If the questioner is referring to a Tsar or a Czar in the traditional sense, then it is most certainly unconstitutional in any form of government with even a shred of either democracy or democratic representation. The word Tsar or Czar is a contraction of Tsesar which is roughly the Russian equivalent of the Gothic word Kaisar or the Latin word Caesar which is an emperor. If the questioner is referring to a Tsar or a Czar in the colloquial or modern sense, such as the American drug Czar, then it is not unconstitutional. In this sense, the word Czar is used to connote the person to whom the responsibility for solving a particular problem has been delegated by the executive branch. In other words, the drug Czar would be the President's go to guy (or gal) charged with fixing the drug problem. The position of Czar does not fit well within any preexisting rubric as it concerns a problem which is perceived to be temporary so the creation of a new cabinet position is not necessary. Furthermore, (I believe) the power of an American Czar is greater than that of an administrative agency head, such as the head of the FAA or the FDA, so the creation of a new administrative agency would not suffice.