Presidential Powers Explored
Beverly Hebb
American Government/CTU Online
Professor Jamie Boyd
March 4, 2013
In this essay I will be discussing the executive branch of the government. The president is the head of the executive branch of the United States government; article II of the constitution legally gives him/her and details the power of the office. The executive branch has the responsibility to carry out laws passed by the legislative branch of the government and to make sure that the laws are observed. I will be answering the question, “What type of power does the president have that allows him/her to create and implement various public policies? “ Also in this essay I will be providing examples of these powers, describing the purpose, giving examples of public policies that have been made using these powers and lastly discussing if these powers and policies have evolved over time or were a result of a major event.
The president of the United States has certain types of powers that allow him/her to create and implement public policies. The most important power that a president must possess is the power of persuasion. Because of the many brick walls that are put up and have to be knocked down just to carry out the presidential powers; presidents must use this, power of persuasion, to get the support they need to obtain the policy agendas they deem important (Presidential Leadership). A good example of this is presidents that have won by receiving high ratings of public approval. Ronald Reagan used his popularity to get the House to cut taxes and increase defense spending. The president is our Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces and is responsible for equipping and carrying out laws written by Congress. To do this he appoints the heads of federal agencies including the Cabinet. These heads are required to carry out the daily operations of running the federal government alongside the president (The Executive Branch, 2013).
The president is...