Presidents' Power to Persuade

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Presidents' Power to Persuade The president of the United States of America is seen around the world to be the most powerful man on Earth. However, many believe that his only real power is the power to persuade. The checks and balances of congress and the Supreme Court over the president are great, and without their support he has relatively little power. A president cannot get any legislation passed if he does not have the support of the senate and or the house of representatives. If a president wanted the US to sign a new treaty, the senate would have to ratify it with a 2/3 majority. If a president wanted new legislation, he must submit it to congress and persuade both houses to vote for it. The president cannot pass legislation without congress, and it may be checked by the supreme court. Once the president has submitted the piece of legislation, he can only try and persuade both houses to go along with it. There is no system by which the president can pass legislation without the checks and balances of congress. The president supposedly has the power to submit the annual budget aswell, however, as with other legislation, this must be checked and approved by a majority in both houses of congress. As far as legislation goes, the presidents options are very limited. The last two years of Clinton's presidency he faced a republican controlled congress. This is a variable factor of every presidency, but if you are unfortunate to have this effect, then it becomes difficult to pass legislation. If there is not a major swing in congress, then your legislation will not be passed. In this point the power of persuasion is the only opti... ... middle of paper ... ...annot check it, and if they do, they cannot stop it. However, the limit on this is that the president cannot declare war on another country without the approval of congress. A presidents power to negotiate treaties is what makes him seen as a powerful figure abroad. Though this requires a 2/3 majority from the senate to confirm it, it is a very useful power. It is increasingly useful when a presidents party has a strong majority in the senate. However, if the president does not have a 2/3 majority in the senate, which is more than likely, he will have to use the power of persuasion. In conclusion, the president has a number of powers, not just persuasion. However, in the circumstances that for example he is facing a congress held by the opposition party, then the power of persuasion becomes ever more important.

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