Presidential Power

PERIOD 7

1. The Constitutional Indeterminacy of the Presidency

• In the Constitution, the powers of the President are extremely unspecific. This is because the powers of the President are supposed to “grow with the developing nation.”

• Unlike Article 1 (which gives specific roles to Congress), Article 2 (grants Presidents his roles) gives the President vague rules to the President having power.

• Most of the powers that the President has, such as authority to act in an emergency, are not mentioned at all in the Constitution.

2. The Precedential Effects of Executive Branch Action

• Previous actions committed by presidents allow future presidents to copy those actions

• Extreme actions/powers needed in the past, such as during times of war or crisis, carry over

3. The Role of Executive Branch Lawyering

• The President can elect friends or family into the Department of Justice that will support his administration. The Dept. of Justice decides what is and what isn’t legal for the president.

• The member (family/friend) appointed into a position by a President is likely to feel beholden to the President by personal loyalty

4. The Growth of the Executive Branch

• When congress passes laws, it allows the president to decide the standards set on the laws and enforce them how he wants to.

• For example, Congress has given the president the power to be in charge of labor relations, the banking industry, pollution standards, etc.

• The federal bureaucracy (federal departments, agencies, committees, etc. that make up the federal government and enforce laws) that exists today is way bigger than the founding fathers imagined.

5. Presidential Access to and Control of Information

• “In the information age, information is power.”• The executive branch (President) has vast

resources for collecting information, such as the military and the CIA.

• Other branches, like Congress have less capability to access information, so they must negotiate with the President.

• The Executive branch has way more access to information than the other 2 branches.

6. Media and the Presidency

• The media makes the president look like a speaker for the nation, which makes him hold huge creditability.

• The media also shows the president often in t.v shows and movies to make him seem like he's doing more than he actually does as president.

• He holds an advantage over anyone in congress because he is portrayed more.

7. Military and Intelligence Capabilities

• The presidents power is also enhanced by being the Commander-in-Chief and head of the Executive Branch.

• He controls the most powerful military in the world and directs secret agencies like the CIA and National Security Agency.

8. The Need for Government to Act Quickly

• The power from the president has increased because of the demands of decision making in todays world.

• The president now has to make hasty decisions to keep his people and country safe.

• If the U.S is in danger it is easier for just one person(the president) to make a quick decision rather than a bunch of congressmen fighting of a decision.