Importance Of Constitutional Powers Of President

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Constitutional Powers of the President The framers of the Constitution of the United States gave the president executive powers that only he (or she) could execute. Some of these powers are the power to grant clemency and pardon individuals, the power to appoint judges and a cabinet, the power to veto congressional bills, and what I believe is the most influential and far-reaching power, the power of executive orders. I will discuss these in this paper, and offer my thoughts. The powers of the President are listed in Article II of the United States Constitution. Alexander Hamilton, in Federalist Paper, Number 70, argued for a strong president, and believed that dynamic and enthusiastic presidential leadership was "essential to the protection of the community against foreign attacks; it is not less essential to the administration of the laws." This type of president would not bow down to congressional demands. James Madison, on the other hand, believed more in the shared powers of Congress and the president--that they are equal. He also believed that the president is protected by the concept of separation of powers, but that the chief executive is an equal partner in the policy-making process. Most of our presidents prefer the Hamiltonian interpretation of presidential power, exercising leadership over Congress, as opposed to deferring to them (Fausold et al). One of the ways the president has a check over Congress is the power of the veto. This power is laid out in Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution. The veto was seen by the framers as a protective measure to prevent ill-advised legislation, and as a revisionary power against legislative encroachment on the executive branch (Spitzer 12). There are two types of vetoes, ... ... middle of paper ... .... Edelson, Chris. Emergency Presidential Power: From the Drafting of the Constitution to the War on Terror. Madison: U of Wisconsin Pres, 2013. Print. Fausold, Martin L., and Alan Shank. Introduction. The Constitution and the American Presidency. Albany: State U of New York, 1991. Xvii-xvi, 133-146. Print. Mackenzie, G. Calvin. Innocent until Nominated: The Breakdown of the Presidential Appointments Process. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution, 2001. Print. Myers, Steven Lee. "BUSH VETOES BILL ON C.I.A. TACTICS, AFFIRMING LEGACY." The New York Times. The New York Times, 08 Mar. 2008. Web. 12 July 2014. Pfeiffer, Dan. "Why President Obama Is Not Signing H.R. 3808." The White House. The White House, 07 Oct. 2010. Web. 10 July 2014. Spitzer, Robert J. The Presidential Veto: Touchstone of the American Presidency. Albany, NY: State U of New York, 1988. Print.

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