Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
The effect of 9/11 on America
The United States involvement in WW 2
The United States involvement in WW 2
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: The effect of 9/11 on America
Introduction From the fledgling beginnings in the history of the United States, the populace of the newly formed republic were concerned with protecting into perpetuity their hard-won independence. To ensure that democracy would rein unchallenged, a formalized guarantee, the Constitution, spelled out whom would comprise the actors and what processes were to be made available for governance. Distinct roles were drafted for both the president and Congress for the purposes of evenly distributing power and preventing any single entity from wielding their power arbitrarily (Jordan et al, 2009, p. 103). Though these roles are complementary, they have also at times been conflicting. This push and pull has also been sewn into the historical narrative of national security policy-making. As the national security needs of the nation have evolved, so too have the ways, means, and agents of the national security policy-making process. An “Invitation to Struggle” The constitution granted powers in such as manner as to prevent any one branch from dominating in the policy-making process. Within the executive branch, the president serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces (Snow, 2014, p. 135). To balance this, Congress is charged with raising and supporting the military forces, as well as with making the rules that govern and regulate those forces. The president has authority to negotiate treaties and make influential appointments such as ambassadors, secretaries of state and defense, and members of his national security team. However, all of these are subject to the “advise and consent” of the Senate (Jordan et al, 2014, p. 73). Though substantial power is granted to the president under the Constitution in making and executing n... ... middle of paper ... ...iam; Schlesinger, James. (2009). American National Security. Sixth Edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Baltimore, MD. Kakutani, Michiko. (2007, July 6). “Unchecked and Unbalanced.” The New York Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/06/books/06book.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 O’Brien, Michael. (2013, June 5). “Obama appoints Susan Rice as national security advisor.” NBCNews.com Retrieved from: http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/05/18772869-obama-appoints-susan-rice-as-national-security-adviser?lite Richey, Warren. (2009, January 14). “Bush pushed the limits of presidential power.” The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved from: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2009/0114/p11s01-usgn.html Snow, Donald. (2014). National Security for a New Era. Fifth Edition. Pearson Education, Inc. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
Cole, D., & Dempsey, J. X. (2006). Terrorism and the constitution: sacrificing civil liberties in the name of national security. New York: New Press.
Host: On September the 11th 2001, the notorious terror organisation known as Al-Qaeda struck at the very heart of the United States. The death count was approximately 3,000; a nation was left in panic. To this day, counterterrorism experts and historians alike regard the event surrounding 9/11 as a turning point in US foreign relations. Outraged and fearful of radical terrorism from the middle-east, President Bush declared that in 2001 that it was a matter of freedoms; that “our very freedom has come under attack”. In his eyes, America was simply targeted because of its democratic and western values (CNN News, 2001). In the 14 years following this pivotal declaration, an aggressive, pre-emptive approach to terrorism replaced the traditional
Hanrahan, Mark. "National Security: Ten Years After September 11 Attacks, U.S. Is Safe But Not Safe Enough." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 03 Sept. 2011. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
It is obvious the president was not given enough power under the Constitution. This is in part because Article II of the Constitution was written in a short period of time with little thought. Many presidents have had to make unclear decisions with little information about the circumstance in the Constitution and the president is beginning to take over the government due to increasing implied powers. However the president’s power has recently proven that it has outgrown the constitution and is swiftly evolving. The Constitution gave the president broad but vague powers, including the authorization to appoint judges and other officials with the Senate’s consent, veto bills, lead the military as commander and chief and make sure “that the Laws be faithfully executed.” Many of these powers however are shared with the Legislative Branch, and cause conflict within the government.
The division of power is one of the most often cited principles of our constitutional system. For example, in terms of foreign policy, the Senate must provide advice and consent to the president when making treaties and appointments. Conversely, the constitution grants Congress the authority to declare war and provide the military funding while the President acts as the commander in chief of the armed forces. This sharing of power creates friction between the executive and legislative branches when they are in disagreement and “is an invitation to struggle for the privilege of directing American foreign policy”.
When the constitution of the United States was formed, the framers specifically designed the American Government structure to have checks and balances and democracy. To avoid autocracy the President was give power to preside over the executive branch of the government and as commander –in –chief, in which a clause was put into place to give the president the power to appeal any sudden attacks against America, without waiting for a vote from congress. While the president presides over the executive branch there has been ongoing debate over the role of the president in regards to foreign policy. Should foreign policy issues be an executive function by the president or should congress play a much greater role? With the sluggishness of our democracy,
American policy was conflicted on multiple fronts. There was a high-perceived threat, but the means devised to cope with it fell short o...
Presidential power has become a hot topic in the media the in recent years. There has been extensive debate about what a president should be able to do, especially without the involvement of Congress and the American people. While this debate has become more publicized since the Bush administration, similar issues of presidential power date back to Truman and the Korean War. As with much of the structure of the U.S. government, the powers of the president are constantly evolving with the times and the executives.
The concept of homeland security has developed over the last decade. Homeland security as a concept was precipitated by the terrorist attacks of 9/11. However, prior to 9/11 such entities as the Gilmore Commission and the United States Commission on National Security discussed the need to evolve the way national security policy was conceptualized due to the end of the Cold War and the rise of radicalized terrorism. After 9/11, policymakers concluded that a new approach was needed to address the large-scale terrorist attacks. A presidential council and department were established, and a series of presidential directives were issued in the name of “homeland security.” These developments established that homeland security was a distinct, but undefined
Wendt, Alexander. “Constructing International Politics.” International Security. Cambridge: President and Fellows of Harvard College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1995. 71-81. Print.
As far as foreign policymaking goes, the main goal of the Government is to “speak with one voice” (p. 336) so that our nation will be seen as a united and unwavering force. This notion was put into law in 1799 by the Logan Act, which prohibited unauthorized citizens from negotiating with foreign Governments. Even with such laws in place, having one central foreign policymaking body is easier said than done. The system of checks and balances provides much stability to our national government, but it can also create a struggle between who has what power and who has the final say in matters regarding this issue. There are many individuals, departments, and agencies that retain some influence in the arena of foreign policymaking but for many reasons that will be further discussed, The President is the dominant force and ultimate decision-making resides in his hands, and his alone.
Citizens feeling protected in their own nation is a crucial factor for the development and advancement of that nation. The United States’ government has been able to provide this service for a small tax and for the most part it is money well spent. Due to events leading up to the terrifying attacks on September 11, 2001 and following these attacks, the Unites States’ government has begun enacting certain laws and regulations that ensure the safety of its citizens. From the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978 to the most recent National Security Agency scandal, the government has attempted and for the most part succeeded in keeping domestic safety under control. Making sure that the balance between obtaining enough intelligence to protect the safety of the nation and the preservation of basic human rights is not extremely skewed, Congress has set forth requisites in FISA which aim to balance the conflicting goals of privacy and security; but the timeline preceding this act has been anything but honorable for the United States government.
The power of the Executive branch has expanded over time to become the most authoritative division of government. In contrast to the Constitution’s fundamental designer, James Madison, who predicted the Legislative branch would dominate due to it’s power in making laws and regulating taxes/spending, the executive powers have proven to be superior and ever broadening. Since the birth of the Republic, the President has sought to protect his rights and seek beyond his restriction of power. Setting the precedent as early as 1795, George Washington refused to relay documents relating to the Jay Treaty to the House of Representatives and saw his actions as a justified act of “executive prerogative.” Moreover, weaving throughout the Nineteenth century, presidents such as Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln conceived and added functions, such as the extensive use of the veto and the president’s direct and active role as Commander in Chief to their executive tool-belt.
Several aspects of the executive branch give the presidency political power. The president’s biggest constitutional power is the power of the veto (Romance, July 27). This is a power over Congress, allowing the president to stop an act of Congress in its tracks. Two things limit the impact of this power, however. First, the veto is simply a big “NO” aimed at Congress, making it largely a negative power as opposed to a constructive power (July 27). This means that the presidential veto, while still quite potent even by its mere threat, is fundamentally a reactive force rather than an active force. Second, the presidential veto can be overturned by two-thirds of the House of Representatives and Senate (Landy and Milkis, 289). This means that the veto doesn’t even necessarily hav...
Gonchar, Michael. “What Is More Important: Our Privacy or National Security?” New York Times. New York Times, 17 Sept. 2013. Web. 22 Feb. 2014.