America's Presidential Power

Most of the specifications for the executive branch in the Constitution, other than how he is to be elected, have to deal with the interactions between Congress and the President. The president can (fill in the blank) but only if (this part) of Congress approves. The powers of the president have been interpreted widely so that he has more power than I believe the Framers intended. They wanted him to be able to check Congress with veto power and be the head of the military. However, I think that presidents nowadays have too much power. They are active in trying force their policy agenda through Congress, manage foreign relations, and act as the administrative head of the entire nation. The textbook lays it out well in, "The vast size of the executive branch and the number and complexity of decisions that must be made each day pose a challenge for the White House.” (316) In order to deal with the stresses put on the executive branch, there are thousands of employees that work to give the president the information that he needs to make decisions. He has advisors, cabinet members, legislative liaisons; the list goes on and on, but he is the person who actually gets to make all of the choices. The President is limited in some ways and given more power in other ways by the structure laid out for him in the Constitution, and evolved to be what it is now.

The Executive Branch’s main job is to enforce the laws. The head of the Executive Branch is the President, also known as Donald Trump. The second in command is the Vice-President, also known as Mike Pence. In order to be the president, you must be at least 35 years old, live 14 years stateside, and be a natural born citizen. There are five categories that the powers of a president can be placed into. The president can be the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, the Chief Executive, the Chief of State, the Chief Legislator, and the Chief of Party. As the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, the president can make the military decisions and call the National Guard. As the Chief Executive, he makes sure his cabinet and staff are doing their jobs correctly. As the Chief of State, he represents the U.S. abroad, acts as hosts to all foreign dignitaries, and makes treaties subject to a ⅔ approval by the Senate. As the Chief Legislator, he can approve or veto laws and suggest certain laws be made through his supporters in the House/Senate. As the Chief of Party, he is the chief of his political party and can make decisions regarding the makeup of his party.

Executive power is vested in the office of the President of the United States. The President has the dual role of being the chief of state and the head of government. The President is also commander in chief of the armed forces. He issues executive orders, and appoints Supreme Court justices (with senate approval). The president is also called "the chief legislator" because he indirectly proposes many bills, considers all bills from Congress and signs them into law or vetoes them.

During the past decade of military operations combating terrorism, members of the U.S. government have thoroughly debated the power of the President and the role of Congress during a time of war. A historical review of war powers in America demonstrates the unchecked power of the executive when it comes to military decision-making and the use of force. Throughout history the power of the President to initiate, conduct, and sustain military operations without oversight has greatly increased. Through a historical lens, this essay will

If the President is suspected of unlawful acts, he can be impeached, or tried by the Senate for misusing his power. The Senate has the sole power to try all impeachments. If he is found guilty, he can be punished but his sentence can be no more than being thrown out of office and being forbidden to hold any government office. Furthermore, if the President wants to spend money, his request must pass through Congress, since it has control over spending. Lastly, Congress can re-pass a bill that was vetoed by the President. Congress also has checks and balances against itself. The President can veto a bill from Congress, and although Congress can override a veto, obtaining a two-thirds vote to do so is very difficult. Public speeches by the President may also concern the public with an issue, putting pressure on Congress to act upon it. The Judicial branch exerts control over the other two by deciding whether or not actions made by the President or Congress, i.e., laws are constitutional.

The Constitution is supposed to divide war powers between the president and Congress, but in today’s society that has not always been the case. We live in a country with competing views, but our Constitution was created through disagreement. While the Constitution is a source of cherished and unifying political ideas, it can provoke some of the most intense quarrels because of its principles and protections. It is also debated and applied to present circumstances daily. To get back to the presidential power argument, President Barack Obama sent United States military into combat without the consent from Congress. “As a presidential candidate in 2007, Senator Obama stated, “The President does not have power under the constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation” (Yoo). President Barack Obama announced four years later, that he was acting on his constitutional authority to conduct U.S. foreign relations as the commander in chief/chief executive by the intervention with Libya. Throughout our history, neither presidents nor Congress have carried out the beliefs that the constitution requires a declaration of war before the U.S can allow for the military to act. “We have forced abroad more than 100 times but declared war in only five cases: The War of 1812, the

The president has the power to sign bills into laws. The president also has the power to veto laws and send them back to the house. If a disagreement between the house and executive branch, the president has the authority. The president may also appoint or remove justices from their seats if needed.

The president also has the power Veto laws passed by congress. The president has the power to make political appointment and negotiate treaties with foreign countries, however this power also requires the approval of the senate. The President is responsible for making a for appointing his cabinet and federal judges. The president is capable of calling congress in session and the power to adjourn congress.

However, some ways the president’s power gets limited includes needing the approval of the Senate for treaties and appointing government officials, not being able to officially declare war, and not being able to make any laws as their own opinion unless they make an executive order. The Constitution gave these powers to the president so the executive branch limits what the Congress can do. For example, if the president does not gain the veto law power, the Congress would force the president to sign all laws passed by the Congress. As a result, the Congress would be similar to the British monarch when they tightened control over the 13 colonies, making laws that only benefits themselves. Article 2 section 2 lists the powers of the president, and how the president gets limited on

The President of the United States is often considered the most powerful elected official in the world. The President leads a nation of great wealth and military strength. Presidents have often provided decisive leadership in times of crisis, and they have shaped many important events in history. The President has many roles and performs many duties. As chief executive, the President makes sure that federal laws are enforced. As commander in chief of the nation's armed forces, the President is responsible for national defense. As foreign policy director, the President determines United States relation with other nations. As legislative leader, the President recommends new laws and works to win their passage. As

In the admittedly short life time of the Presidential branch its occupants have taken massive strides in empowering and strengthening their office. At times a case could be made that the executive has aspired to too much; threating essential American political values, such is the case of President Franklin Roosevelt who secured a third term of office ignoring precedent and tradition. However, evidence would suggest that for any significant step a president takes towards increasing their power; often results in an equal and opposite reaction. That is not to say that our presidents are weak, in actuality we see that our presidents have significantly increased their power to wage war

Prior to the War Powers Act, President Harry Truman, rather than seek Congressional declaration, used his constitutional power as commander in chief to commit troops to the Korean War. Congress had no say in whether this war would be fought. Along with this, the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon the power to “take all necessary measures … to prevent further aggression[iv].” This gave the presidents complete control over the war despite the Congresses eventual division, who could do nothing about it. These incidents caused Congress to decide that the Framers did not intend for the president to have this kind of war making power, so they passed the War Powers Act on November 7th, 1973, right after the Vietnam War.

The President’s formal powers, as found in Article II of the U.S. Constitution, begins with Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. This was the first power listed, signifying the prominence placed on keeping the country secure and safe, especially from foreign invasion. The next formal power of the President is the power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States. An example of said power would be, President Gerald Ford pardoning Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal and the President ordering a reprieve or delay in the case of a person on death row until their case can be heard by a higher court. The President also has the power to make Treaties, with Senate approval, and to appoint Ambassadors and Supreme Court Judges, again, with Senate confirmation.

The president also has the power of assigning the federal judges, and when to call Congress into session. Likewise, the president has the power to either sign or veto a piece of legislation from Congress.

He oversees the idea that all laws must be abided by equally. He appoints all federal judges and he appoints, removes, and supervises all executive officers. The president is limited though because all appointed the Senate must approve officers. The last expressed power the president has is his legislative power. Delivering a "State of Union" falls under this responsibility. He also has the power to veto, or turn down acts of Congress. When a pocket veto comes into play, Congress doesn't have the ability to overrule the veto. This is done when the president doesn’t sign something in a matter of ten days. A part of the legislative power that isn’t listed in the Constitution is the legislative initiative. This is where the president can bring a legislative agenda to the attention of the Congress. The executive order also falls under this power. This is a rule that has the effect and formal status of a legislation but is drawn up by the president.