WI: US has an Executive Council instead of a President

[Lost the game]

Just like it says on the tin. Because plenty of people say that the Founding Fathers created the Presidency under the assumption that George Washington would be the first President, let's say that a stray bullet kills him at Yorktown. He is hailed as an American Moses, bringing his people to the edge of Independence but not enjoying its fruits himself. Let's also assume that sans Washington the idea of a Federal Council assuages fears of tyranny and makes the Federalist's case stronger so that his moral authority isn't needed.

At the end of the day they come up with the idea of an electoral college choosing the members of the Executive Council, a ten-member council whose members serve for ten years so that a new one is elected every year. In the end the post of Elector becomes something else you have to run for, even though you literally have only one job. The EC also has a rotating Presidency where the President-for-a-year serves as Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the military. Other than that the EC has all the powers of the President, just as a council rather than an individual.

What effect does this have? What effect does this have on the debate over slavery, for example? Or the rising power of the Federal Government from the 1930s onward? Who might decide to serve on this council, and conversely might some OTL Presidents decide Congress is a better career path?Would we see a situation where the POTECOTUS is seen as less powerful than the Speaker of the House, for example? Would people consider the Speaker to be the Head of Government, and the US starts to look like a parliamentary system?

 

[wwbgdiaslt]

So basically the Swiss model? Where the executive is a council, with the senior member being essentially a spokesperson rather than having any additional authority or responsibilities?

 

[Lost the game]

So basically the Swiss model? Where the executive is a council, with the senior member being essentially a spokesperson rather than having any additional authority or responsibilities?

Basically. Except the most senior member also has the portfolio of Commander-in-Chief and Minister for Defense.

Which begs the question of whether we would have a Cabinet in that case, appointed by the EC, or whether the various committee heads in the House would serve as the American equivalent of a Cabinet in a Parliamentary system.