The American Presidency Essay Research Paper The

The American Presidency Essay, Research Paper The Power Of the American Presidency The office of the American President is unquestionably a democratically ruled position. The checks and balances of the Legislative and Judicial branches, known as Separation of Powers, keep the presidency one of the most important duties in the world, but at the same time, the checks and balances do not let the president have too much power. Separation of power was very effective; The three branches of government (executive, legislative, and judicial) are kept separate, and each has different powers. Congress has legislative, or law making, powers; the President has the power to carry out, or execute, the laws; and the Judicial branch had the judging power, used to interpret the laws. In

addition, each branch is able to restrain or balance the powers of the other two branches upon power abuse. If the President is suspected of unlawful acts, he can be impeached, or tried by the House and Senate for misusing his power. If he is found guilty, he can be thrown out of office, unless two thirds of Congress agrees with a treaty he proposes. 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 vetoed bill. 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 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 American President is one of the most important persons on earth. The president, however, cannot pass a single bill without the approval of the House and the Senate. The president can propose bills, and he often deals with many short, yet unthinkably important questions concerning various factors throughout the world. Although the president ultimately has the power to suggest just about anything on our society, our government does not grant him total power over the decisions made politically throughout the course of his four years. Michael Genovese, author of The Power of the American President argues that while as Commander-in-Chief, the President bears incredible pressures and responsibilities, the President not only has power in

the United States, but also tremendous influence throughout the world. Genovese realizes the tremendous burden that this incredible position entails, as he notes that many presidents publicly admit that the office of the president is a miserable one, even though so many lobby and work so hard to become the president1. In any system which claims to be democratic, a question of its legitimacy remains. A truly democratic political system has certain characteristics which prove its legitimacy with their existence. One essential characteristic of a legitimate democracy is that it allows people to freely make choices without government intervention. Another necessary characteristic which legitimates government is that every vote must count equally: one vote for every person. For this

equality to occur, all people must be subject to the same laws, have equal civil rights, and be allowed to freely express their ideas. Minority rights are also crucial in a legitimate democracy. No matter how unpopular their views, all people should enjoy the freedoms of speech, press and assembly. Public policy should be made publicly, not secretly, and regularly scheduled elections should be held. Since “legitimacy” may be defined as “the feeling or opinion the people have that government is based upon morally defensible principles and that they should therefore obey it,” then there must necessarily be a connection between what the people want and what the government is doing if legitimacy is to take place. While circumstances may dictate what a President must deal