Final Exam Question 1
Back in 1787, the Constitutional Convention had to answer a very essential question that would determine the office of the presidency: Should the U.S. even have a president? The Founding Fathers feared executive power such as monarchies, yet they also knew that state governments weren’t strong enough to keep the republic afloat. They had to find a balance between a leader that was both strong and dependable, yet gave a healthy amount of power to the people. In the Constitution, the office of the presidency is vaguely mentioned, yet it mentions three types of powers given to the president: 1) Expressed Powers, which are explicitly granted from the Constitution itself 2) Delegated Powers, or powers granted by Congress, and 3) Inherent Powers, which are assumed by the president during times of crisis. The use of these powers determine if the president is going beyond the limits of the office.
Many argue that the president has abused these powers with the use of the Unitary Executive Theory, which states that the Constitution puts the president in charge of executing the laws, and that nobody can limit the president’s power when it comes to executive powers. It therefore tips authority from Congress to the presidency, upsetting the power of checks and balances.
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There are many problems and issues in our country that need special attention such as the broken economy, immigration issues, the faulty education system, cultural disruption, etc., yet most of them are not properly taken care of. Barack Obama seems to be an almost perfect example of this: he says he will bring change and promises to fix important issues, yet he spends time on things that end up being a bad idea later on, like Obamacare. Much like Jimmy Carter, the presidency isn’t abusing its power, it’s just not using its power in the way that it
What if the president could create, enforce, and decide if laws are unconstitutional? In 1787 a group of delegates representing the states meant tin Philadelphia to create a new set of rules for are government to follow. The delegates had different ideas of how to split the power one of the ideas was federalism,splitting the power between state governments and the federal government .The rules had to give the government enough power to run the nation but not enough to become tyrants. How did the new constitution protect against tyranny?
1. When the Constitution was drafted “Article II, Section 2, clause 2 grants the President the power to ‘appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States [except those whose positions are not otherwise already provided for in the Constitution. And] Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers…in the President alone” (Presidential Powers). However, the issue of removal powers of the president where not addressed within the Constitution, therefore this issue is one that has been debated. The issue with removal power is if the president is given too much power and many member of Congress opposed this power.
According to the materiel Of The People, moderate nationalists wanted to create a stronger central government while the radical localists resisted fearing that this would subvert their liberties. The nationalists in congress realized that the national government was powerless concerning the current economic issues, they lacked money and could not pay the army they had. In the middle 1780’s several nationalists began to call for a constitutional convention. Before the Constitutional Convention in 1787 there were two previous meetings. Over the summer of 1787, 55 men from twelve states wrote a document to strengthen their government, this became one of the most influential documents in the history of the world.
If the president appeals to one set of interests over another, unwanted circumstances can arise. Commonly, the president would want to consider the public opinion which usually
Any additions to the powers listed are unconstitutional and potentially dangerous. The constitution in of itself establishes a government with limited powers. Such interpretation ensures that judges and lawmakers will not become tyrannical
The Constitution gave powers to Congress to collect taxes and raise revenue, regulate commerce, both foreign and domestic, declare war, maintain an army, and make changes “necessary and proper” to pursue the powers, and it added, “all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States.” They also added The Executive Branch that consists of a president and his cabinet. The president was to be elected through the Electoral College. The president would have the power to create treaties, but only if two-thirds of the Senate approved them, oversee the army and navy as commander-in-chief, name diplomats with the consent of the Senate, execute the laws passed by Congress and veto acts of Congress that he did not feel were constitutional. The great Compromise also helps to grant each state equal representation.
In the coming years, severe economic difficulties, foreign problems, state sovereignty, limited central government and rebellions urge the United States to construct a new government. Important figures such as Alexander Hamilton himself, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, James Madison and many others worked towards forming and instituting a new and more sustainable system of government. Ultimately the Constitution was created-- which divided the United States government into three equal branches that worked in an equal system of checks and balances. Considering the failure of the A.O.C it was in part the foundation the Constitution-- it gave the Founding Fathers a clear guideline for what not to do. The Constitution provided the legitimacy and power the federal government desperately needed while also allowing the citizens of the United States to have a significant role in how they are
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…” The opening statement of the supreme law of our nation makes the goals of our government clear, and yet we seem to have lost sight of these goals. It is my belief that in order to ensure the goals of the constitution that the 28th amendment of The Constitution must be an amendment instituting term limits on all members of The Senate and The House. Since around the last four congresses we have seen record numbers of house and senate tenures; peaking at a 13 year average for members of the senate. Now of course we may not be having this problem if congressional approval ratings were not at an
In recent years there has been debate on whether or not the president has too much power. The president 's power has increased over the years, I believe that this increase has given the president way too much power. The amount of power that the president has, can cause total destruction and can manipulate people into doing things that they do not actually believe in. A president should not have some of the powers that he possess, but they are given to him simply because he is the leader of the country. In my opinion the president should be allowed certain powers in order to run the country properly, he is also the leader of the country which grants him the right to have certain powers according to the constitution.
DBQ Essay The United States Constitution is a document that or founding fathers made in order to replace the failing Articles of Confederation (A of C). Under the Constitution, the current government and states don’t have the problems they faced when the A of C was in action. The Constitution was created in 1788, and held an idea that the whole nation was nervous about. This idea was a strong national government, and the Federalist assured the people that this new government would work. The framers of the Constitution decided to give more power to the Federal government rather than the state governments because the A of C had many problems, there was a need for the layout of new government, rights, and laws, and there was a need for the Federal
It might seem rather unusual to the casual observer to suggest that the president of the United States could be anything other than powerful at all times. He is the most powerful person in the world’s only economic power. Some of the powers of the Presidency listed in the constitution are as commander in chief, as chief executive, can negotiate treaties which are subject to advice and consent of the senate and can veto something that he thinks is unconstitutional. The President’s powers are balanced by the Congress. Congress votes on legislation and then sends it to the executive branch to put into effect.
Since the establishment of the United States government, there has been a struggle to balance the need for an executive that is able to be active in the government and enforcing its policies to the need for a strong legislative branch, as well as a strong judiciary. Ultimately, these problems were at the heart of the establishment of the new government and how the Constitution would come to be interpreted. As the Supreme Court ruled on cases involving the President and past Presidents expanded the role of the Executive, the role of President has become a much changed position within the government of the United States. Although all of the President’s duties are important, the current political climate ensures that some are more focused on than others.
The Executive Power The executive power is the authority to enforce orders and making sure that those orders are carried out as attended. There is a debate on whether or not a president can or cannot utilize his/her executive powers in a way that goes beyond bounds of the constitution. A president should be able to make executive decisions when it comes down to our safety and country they should be able to act on what they think is right, they should be able keep us protected, however they should also include congress when it is necessary. President Ronald Reagan, writes to the Speaker of the House in 1983, he is explaining what is happening with the United States and Grenada.
To begin with, expressed powers are those powers delegated to the National Government that are spelled out, expressly, in the Constitution. In Article I there are a total of twenty-seven powers stated that are directed to Congress. They include the power to tax, coin money, regulate commerce, raise and maintain armed forces, and declare war. Powers that are granted to the President such as, acting as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and the power to grant pardons are recorded in Article II. In regards to the Supreme Court and the other courts in the federal
But how much power does he actually have? The president has a number of specific powers. He can issue executive orders and he can extend pardons for federal crimes. He has the power to sign legislation into law, or veto bills enacted by Congress.