The Presidency And Self-Interest

In the article, “Unilateral Action and Presidential Power: A Theory,” Terry M. Moe and William G. Howell, two political science instructors from Stanford University, investigate a source of presidential power, which is the president’s capability to act individually and make his own law, that has been unacknowledged yet essential to presidential leadership that it defines how the modern presidency is distinctively modern. The authors’ purpose in the article is to outline a theory of this feature of presidential power by arguing that the president’s powers of unilateral action, which is developed from the ambiguity of the contract, are strengths in American politics since they are not mentioned in the constitution. They also claim that presidents push the ambiguity of the contract to make their powers grow and that Congress and the courts would not be able to stop them (Moe and Howell, 1999, p. 1-3).

The various and varied roles of the Office of the President add to as well as detract from the ideal of the Madisonian Model of democracy. For example, there are instances such that at any given point the American President may act judicial-like and at other times may act legislative-like which deviates from the Madisonian Model.

The article I chose for this assignment was Power and the Presidency, From Kennedy to Obama written by Robert Dallek. I found this to be a very interesting article. This article is tied in with this week’s chapter because this week’s chapter was on the president. This article was on the increases in power of the executive branch. I learned more about the increase in power in the office of the president and how it has changed over time. I learned that the President’s control over foreign affairs has been growing since the Theodore Roosevelt administration. I learned Kennedy greatly expanded the power of the presidency particularly in the area of foreign affairs. I learned that by the early 1960s, the president had become the principle architect

The Texas Governor’s formal executive powers differ from those of the president in many ways. The United states President 's formal powers are many, provided to the office by the Constitution. Though some formal powers mandate the approval of congress, they vastly expand the power and justify the importance of the office. The president is that of Commander and Chief of the armed forces and is the final authority in military matters and inevitably is responsible for the entire military.

The president is the foreign policy leader for the United States with an important political, military and economic role in the international arena. If there is collision between the president and congress, can congress restrain the president in foreign policy making?

Throughout American history, after the establishment of the U.S. Constitution, the validity of executive privilege has been questioned in federal courts and among legal scholars on countless occasions. According to Merriam-Webster, executive privilege entails, “exemption from legally enforced disclosure of communications within the executive branch of government when such disclosure would adversely affect the functions and decision-making processes of the executive branch” (Merriam-Webster). In other words, executive privilege is the notion that the President is exempt from having to give evidence or disclose information to congressional hearings or to judicial inquiries. Executive privilege also typically includes immunity from legal disputes involving the presidency. Although not officially referred to as “executive privilege” until Eisenhower’s presidency, the first argument of executive privilege or immunity took place during George Washington’s presidency (The Constitution and Executive Privilege). Claiming executive privilege has been a common occurrence throughout all U.S. presidencies and continuing with President Obama. Those who argue against the legitimacy of executive privilege use the reasoning that it is not constitutional because it is not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution and interrupts the separation of powers. On the other hand, many legal scholars assert that executive privilege is necessary for

“By purusing his own interest he frequently promotes that of society more efficiently than when he really intends to(p477) ”. Humans are selfish by nature it's only natural to do what best fit their needs. when doing so it helps promote society even if said person is unconsciously benefiting the society they are still benefiting the world's growth.

The views of the presidency by the first sixteen presidents varied widely but all of their actions set precedents for their successors to use, expand, or even curtail the power of the office. Some believed in the Whig theory of strict adherence to the constitution, while others believed the president was the steward of the people with a loose interpretation of it. The power of the office expanded through the years, however it only expanded as far as the public and congress allowed.

In article of “Seven Reasons Why We Do Not Need a President” Gary ‘Z’ McGee, said that “No single human being should ever be allowed as much power as the president is given, no matter how competent, worthy, or wise they may be.” (McGee). He is stating that people who holds a power over other people are more likely to be corrupted by this power. He is not denying that it is possible that people from the movies or stories like Harry Potter or from the Roman empire like Maximus exists, but very doubtful. In his argument he said that power over others is too much for person to handle.

The presidency of the United Sates of America has been an evolving office since the term of our first president, George Washington. This evolution has occurred because of the changing times and the evolution of society itself, but also because of the actions of the men who have become president. Starting in the 20th century, most have referred to the presidency as the modern presidency due to changes in both a president's power and the way that the office itself is viewed. As the office of the president has evolved so has who can become president evolved. Yet, even today there are certain individuals who because of their gender or race have yet to hold the office of the presidency. The men that

Presidents of the United States of America have been around since the country became it’s own. Each president is given certain responsibilities and rights. Presidential power is listed in the Constitution but since then, there’s been room for more responsibilities to come into play. The powers exercised in the modern world surpass those included in the Constitution. Today, the president has a number of offices and departments serving under him. These institutions help keep the government together and everything running smoothly. The presidents rely on a number of other things. Some include elections, political parties, interest groups, the media, and public opinion. There are different kinds of powers granted to the president. While some

Aristotle’s analogy of Gyges and his magic ring illustrates this, as does the thought experiment presented in the movie Groundhog Day; given a situation with no consequences, humans will inevitably make choices that are entirely self-serving. It is necessary, then, that posts of government office, which offer a great deal of power to those in them, must have consequences tied to the abuse of their power, in order to stymy the selfish intentions of those who fill

It is however possible for ethics and self-interest to find a common ground. As humans we are naturally benevolent. We care about the welfare of others--especially of those closest to us. Without close relationships we can never truly be happy. According to the American psychologist A.H. Maslow,

Human beings place great value on the interests of both themselves and others. There is a certain innate desire to

Ethical egoism claims that all our actions can be reduced to self-interest. This is a controversial moral theory which sometimes can be detrimental. Without a well-defined framework of the nature of self-interest, ethical egoism enlarges the animalistic nature of humanity in which can result in unfavorable consequences. Ethical egoism also fails to provide a solution when a conflict of interest arises. By only acting out of one’s self