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Presidential Power
Do our Presidents have too much or not enough power? Why or why not?
The President of the United States has the primary duty of ensuring that all U.S. laws are carried out properly and that the federal government runs effectively. He or she does not have the power to introduce or enforce new legislation; this power belongs to Congress. However, he or she is elected "for the people, by the people" and has the power to veto any bill legislature approves. This is significant authority, but ultimately, Congress (elected Senate and House of Representatives members) works as a unit to create and lobby for the laws that ultimately govern our society and can override a Presidential veto.
The President serves as Commander in Chief of the U.S. armed forces, oversees foreign policy, creates treaties with foreign nations and appoints ambassadors to the U.N. And other countries. This is considerable power because it relates to our place in the free world -- who we are allies with, who we are not, and how we defend against anything or anyone who threatens our way of life and our nation. The President has the authority to deploy the armed forces at his discretion, with congressional approval. He may also ask Congress to declare war on other nations.
The President's...
He or she can also appoint Supreme Court justices and federal judges. In this way, the President has the power to steer the tone and policy for the entire executive branch and how laws are enforced. Ultimately, the President of the United States has just enough significant power in terms of legislative duties, foreign policy and military declarations of war. This power is limited, however, by two-thirds majority votes in Congress to overstep a veto and the power of the Electoral College and the public to elect and re-elect. Therefore, Presidential power is neither all-inclusive nor absolute.
What personal qualities do you think are needed to be a successful President? Are the qualities needed in peace time the same as in war time?
I think that a President should first and foremost be intelligent. Policies should be realistic and decisions should be in the best interest of the American people. An extensive knowledge of the U.S. political system is important, as are excellent public speaking skills. Being able to speak to the people during times of peace and war is critical.
A wartime President should be diplomatic, without being…
References
(2011, April 25). Multiple Inequities: A new law lessens, but doesn't end, the sentencing disparities for crack cocaine. New York Times. p. 24.
(2012, April 18). Abiding by the Fair Sentencing Act. New York Times. p. 26.
Beckmann, M.N., & Kumar, V. (2011). How presidents push, when presidents win: A model of positive presidential power in U.S. lawmaking. Journal Of Theoretical Politics, 23(1), 3-20. doi:10.1177/0951629810378545
Presidents also fulfill the role of leader of their political party. Although this power is not mentioned in the Constitution, presidents represent the best interests of their party and work to make sure that members of their political party get elected to positions within the government. The role of the president has changed greatly since its inception. Some of these changes have been because of the personality of the president
Presidential Power While the scope of modern presidential power far exceeds the very limited but potent powers that the President is given in Article II of the Constitution, it does not appear that those powers have increased dramatically over the last 20 years, especially when one compares the President's power with congressional power. It is important to keep in mind that most presidents have "used their implied and informal presidential
Power of the American President [...] how the U.S. President derives most of his power from Formal Powers. The U.S. President is the Commander-in-Chief of the nation, and probably the most powerful leader in the world. The Formal Powers of the President are formidable and keep the President powerful, and yet not so powerful that he takes over the entire government. The Formal Powers give power, but keep the
S. interests in that part of the world. Then, on January 17, 1991, the U.S. launched the first attack, with more than 4,000 bombing runs. After 100 hours, Bush called off the offensive, saying he wanted to minimize U.S. casualties. Though Bush was criticized for this withdrawal being premature, the U.S. made a retreat from Kuwait after the successful offensive, and Bush's approval ratings reached new highs. Bush announced in early 1992,
Presidential and Congressional Powers In the simplest of terms, the differences in powers between Congress and the President is that Congress makes laws and the President enforces them. But, that description does a great injustice to the complexities of the roles of each. Congress is granted "all legislative powers" by Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. Those powers include the making of laws, coining money, declaring war, regulating interstate and
" The Great Society initiative included policies concerning increased education assistance, fundamental protections of civil rights and the right of all Americans to vote, urban renewal, Medicare, conservation, beautification, control and prevention of crime and delinquency, promotion of the arts, and consumer protection (President Lyndon B. Johnson's Biography 2009). Contributions. The contributions made by President Johnson were both numerous and significant. In this regard, Firestone and Vogt (1988) report that, "As LBJ