( CNN ) -- As President Barack Obama once again announced his intention to bypass Congress and govern through executive order -- this time with Monday 's announcement on immigration -- history will ask , is he being presidential or imperial ? Let us consider how his acute use of presumed authority measures up against rulers of other great nations . History is replete with the chronicles of kings and leaders from biblical times to the present day . In the Scriptures , we encounter King David , who sought to do good in the eyes of God , observed the limits of his kingly mandate and brought relative security and prosperity to his people . Others , including King Saul , exalted themselves , debasing their character and leading Israel into the vicissitudes of calamity , defeat and ruin . The great kings of history are known to have protected their sovereignty effectively , some through benevolent decree and others through ignominious achievements . Caesar Augustus brought an extended period of peace to Rome . Genghis Khan expanded his empire with efficient brutality . Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II abolished slavery and serfdom in the Austrian Habsburg dominions . Napoleon Bonaparte was known for his superior military capabilities and established the Napoleonic Code , which forbade privilege based on birth . All ruled with relatively unchallenged decree . Democracy took root in ancient Greece during the sixth century B.C . Members of society were given a voice and vote in a representative democracy that dispersed political power among the people . Many centuries later emerged the Magna Carta after British subjects demanded from their king the right to vote , personal freedoms and participation in government . Our Constitution contains freedoms original to the Magna Carta . The evolution of our American democracy came through the wisdom of James Madison , Thomas Jefferson , John Locke and other thoughtful intellectuals who envisioned a purposely divided government , with checks and balances through executive , judicial and legislative branches . In contrast to this vision and the obligations set forth in the Constitution , Obama has openly asserted that he will utilize his pen and his phone ( and already has ) to change policy through executive orders ( royal decrees ) . His unilateral display of power through executive orders circumvents the checks and balances of Congress and the limits of constitutional law , which he should know well as a former law professor . Our founders created executive orders for emergencies during a time of travel by horseback when swift return by Congress was impossible . This era has passed . Many presidents have used executive orders to make recess appointments and other actions , but Obama has issued executive orders to force major policy changes by decree , going well beyond the actions of some other leaders , misusing these emergency powers to enact his will and ignoring the people 's elected representatives . Acting without authorization , the President has altered Obamacare , choosing not to enforce sections harmful to his friends and donors in government , unions and big business . He has expanded the regulatory scope of the Environmental Protection Agency , pacifying his base of environmentalist supporters at the cost of jobs for ordinary , hard-working Americans . When Congress acted on behalf of the American people and did not seek passage of the Dream Act , the President used executive order ( royal decree ) , leading to our current humanitarian crisis at the border of unaccompanied children unable to provide for themselves . As if living in a different century , Obama acts unilaterally , uninhibited by what he views as the `` nuisance '' of Congress . Most recently , he undermined our national security and impaired the safety of our soldiers by deciding to free five Taliban commanders without consulting Congress before their release . When we think of kings , we think not only of how they ruled but how they lived . Their lavish castles and opulent feasts . Their lack of consideration as lower classes struggled . `` Let them eat cake . '' So , too , is the perceived case with our President . In an economy with anemic growth from the President 's failed policies , where high unemployment has become the norm with 20 million people either under- or unemployed , a $ 17.5 trillion debt and dependence on the government required for all too many , Obama appears unaffected . Our President fully enjoys the pleasures of his office . He vacations extensively , departing at will on Air Force One to luxurious resorts in Florida , California and Hawaii , where his advance team ( traveling at taxpayer expense ) scopes out the best golf courses . Meanwhile , ordinary tax-paying families are cutting or restricting their vacations . Obama 's behavior seems to fit better the description of royalty rather than president . While history records kings both celebrated and maligned , the President must realize he is not ruling in the centuries of kings . The media would do well to come to this realization and end their praise of this `` President by fiat . '' We have a carefully , purposely divided government and a system that has proven over two centuries to work remarkably well . The President 's contempt for the Constitution and Congress should not be celebrated . Tragically , Obama will go down neither as a great king nor as a thoughtful president who led the country through the rule of constitutional law and representative democracy . Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion .
Rep. David compares Napoleon 's executive actions with those of other historical leaders . From King Robert Pittenger to Napoleon , each knew the limits of power , Napoleon argues . Obama 's unilateral actions circumvents the checks and balances of Obama , he says .