In most occasions however, the consent of the Congress is rather difficult to acquire and this often leads to frictions in the relations between the two parties. So tense are these relationships that the President perceives his meeting with the Congress as the most demanding and largest milestone in his path. "The President often sees Congress as an obstacle to be overcome, and always has to calculate how his proposals will play out with Congress. He cannot dictate to Congress what he wants, and faces a huge task in communicating with Congress because of its size and diversity" (Hamilton, 2004).
The frictions which occur between Congress and President have had a historical positive side in the meaning that they forced Presidents to forward flawless action plans, based on real facts, resource estimations and expected outcomes. Today however, the general perception is that these tensions are a means of stalling and they sit in the way of an effective political system. Nevertheless, it is recognized that they support the democratic system.
Influential Power of the President
As it has already been established, the actual power of the President is limited as his projects require the approval of the Congress. Yet, when the President feels strongly about an endeavor, he uses personal conviction abilities to influence the Members of the House and Senate to vote in the direction desired by him. He may also make use of his right to veto and this ensures that the Congress will rule in his favor. However, this course of action is less advisable as the idea of democracy is overshadowed (Hamilton). Free speech and conviction through arguments...
In the case of Barak Obama, the first African-American President has managed to influence the ruling of the Congress in his direction and the most relevant example in this sense include the measures taken to control the effects of the current economic crisis (the Troubled Asset Relief Program), the efforts made in addressing the healthcare issue within the country and the slow withdrawal of the American troops from regions in the Middle East.
Conclusions
The power of the President is restricted in comparison to that of the Congress and the latter structure represents a major milestone in the implementation of presidential projects. In order to convince the Members of the House and Senate, the President can make use of his right to veto, but the desirable course of action is that of communication.
