The US presidency-powers
and limitations
Overview:
There are a couple of reasons why the US presidency is misunderstood:
the directly elected president is viewed as the main leader however it is the whole organisation which makes up the presidency.
The president has a lot of influence on foreign policies and because of this people believe he is the ‘worlds most powerful man’. However he has little influence on domestic policies this is because of the federalist way the US is governed.
The constitution and the president.
The president does not have many specific powers assigned to him by the constitution, however he can appoint senior officials and judges is commander and chief and is head of state and government. He can veto proposed laws, and can also give a state address. Congress checks all of these, only they can declare war and the senate has to confirm many of the appointments.
Creation of the presidency
Roosevelt: ‘ I am both king and prime minister’. This is what the founding fathers intended when they created a head of government and state in one. They also choose to make the cabinet an advisory body but not a decision making one. The president was originally created to be indirectly elected through the electoral college, however it was later changed to the directly elected system we know today. Their fear of tyranny persuaded the founding fathers to create a limited executive who is checked by the 2 other branches of government constantly. The role of the executive can be a frustrating role as there are many restrictions on what ideas can and can’t be pursued.
Powers of the president
The president can propose legislation at any time but it is mostly done through the annual state of the union address. An example of the state of union address to share his views and hopes for health care reforms.
The annual budget is submitted by the president after it has been drawn up by the office of management and budget then negotiated...