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Political Themes In Designated Survivor

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The 2016 originated Netflix series Designated Survivor, created and partly written by David Guggenheim, stars Canadian liberal Kiefer Sutherland as Tom Kirkman, the independent Cabinet secretary of Housing and Urban Development who is chosen as the ‘designated survivor’ during a State of the Union Address that goes horribly wrong, resulting in the capitol building being blown up. Kirkman proceeds to take up the presidency, facing many challenges inspired by political themes. The most prominent of these themes touched on in the series is the presidential line of succession, the power struggles of Federalism, and the emergency powers of the president. In Designated Survivor episode 1, “Pilot,” the aforementioned events occur and Tom Kirkman …show more content…

Beginning in “The First Day” and mostly resolving in episode 4, “The Enemy,” the Kirkman administration deals with Governor James Royce of Michigan. As Governor Royce feels that Kirkman’s presidency is illegitimate (for Kirkman was to be removed from the Cabinet the day of the attack), he nearly secedes Michigan from the United States, leading to further complications when Kirkman sends the state military in to help, who end up siding with the Governor. This situation is only resolved when Kirkman gets Royce to agree to meeting with him in Washington D.C. to discuss the issues. Another instance of Federalism being shaken is in episode 6, “The Interrogation,” where the 50 Governors meet with Kirkman, fully questioning his presidency. These scenarios both involve the questioning of state versus federal power (Guggenheim, 2016). Article 1, Section 10 of the Constitution establishes the limits of state power, decreeing in clause one that “No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation…” and in clause three that “No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.” In addition to these concrete limitations to state power, Amendment Ten explains: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the

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