For instance, the President is not able to directly pass legislation, although he or she may recommend laws to be created; however, the congress has no obligation to follow through with the Presidential recommendation (Singh 130). Thus, the President may officially be the head of the executive branch; however, power is limited by other branches of government. This is in contrast to the Canadian Parliamentary style of government there is little to no separation of powers between the different levels of government; therefore, the executive and legislative branches are decidedly connected to each other. Therefore, the Parlamentary system in which the ministers of the executive branch are drawn directly from the legislature. Therefore, the role of Prime Minister and cabinet is one which is much more encompassing than is the role of President.
To what extent can the Congress and the Supreme Court limit the powers of the President? In the United States of America, the government is divided into three main branches; The Executive Branch- which the President belongs to, Legislative Branch made up on the Congress and finally the Judicial Function – The Supreme Court. The President is the most powerful person in the USA but his power is held in check by the Congress and The Supreme Court. If these institutions don’t like what the President intends to do then they have the power to prevent him. The Presidents greatest powers lie within foreign policy.
ISSUE 5 Does the President Have Unilateral War Powers? I found this to be an interesting issue about the President having unilateral war powers. I can definitely see the “grey” area and reason for this issue to arise. As stated in the book, the confusion/conflict comes from the constitution and how it’s written. In summary, the Congress is given the power to declare war and “to raise and support armies”, but the president is authorized to serve as commander-in-chief of the armed forces “when called into actual service of the United States.” This means the President has the power to move troops where he deems fit regardless of congress.
Executive Power The first American president, George Washington, set standards on presidential power for a successful government. Many of these implied rules and regulations are still carried on today and enforced by the Constitution. Despite the Constitution there are different branches of government that also assist in enforcing these laws. The judicial, legislative and the executive branch perform checks and balances between each branch so as not to give too much power to one branch. This system of checks and balances over the years has been debated in its leniency and lack of enforcement at times.
The constitution guarded against tyranny by providing federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, and big states vs. small states. The first guard against tyranny was federalism which means a compound government made up of a central or state government. Powers given to the central government were to regulate trade, conduct foreign relations, provide an army and navy, declare war, print and coin money, set up post offices, and to make
The US constitution is commonly described as being very rigid. This stems from the fact that it is codified – laid down in one singular sovereign document, which sets out both the powers and limitations of each distinct branch of government, for instance the fact that each year the President has the power to make the ‘State of the Union’ address, where he outlines what he wants Congress to debate and pass laws on. These enumerated powers have stayed the same ever since the Constitution was drawn up. Furthermore, the US has a notoriously difficult amendment process. First a bill must be passed in both houses of Congress with a super-majority of two-thirds.
Has no immunity for acts that occurred prior to becoming president and can be sued while in office. PART IV. FEDERALISM I. THE SUPREMACY CLAUSE Article IV Valid federal law overrides inconsistent state law. o Includes constitution, statutes, treaties, admin rules etc.
Taking place major political changes aimed at consolidating the powers of central government. The country was governed by the Articles of Confederation according to which Congress could not make laws or raise taxes. To this purpose, in May 1787, a convention met in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation. Eventually the delegates, headed by George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and James Madison, drafted a new Constitution which established a strong federal government, gave executive power to an elected president, and provided for a Supreme Court. Most important, it established the principle of checks and balances.It was also decided to hold the first presidential election, and on
Political culture is a reflection of the government, but also incorporates elements of history and tradition that may anticipate the current system. An example of this is - the United States and Great Britain which are both democracies, but each nation has a distinct political culture. Great Britain consists of a long history of feudalism and has never had a written constitution. (Contrasts between the American and British Political System, Roger Darlington, August 2013) Even though the current monarch holds the official title of head of state, the monarchy’s powers are nominal, leaving Parliament (the legislative body) as the dominant element of the government The American government, in contrast, derives its’ power from a written constitution drafted by men who feared monarchs and strong central governments, which is why the federal government was divided into three distinct branches.
In a presidential system, the president is both the head of the state as well as that of a government. Being the head of the state, he “presides at ceremonial functions and symbolizes the nation in the eyes of the rest of the world” (Mahler, 2008, p.106). As the head of the government, he is the chief of the executive branch who makes major political decisions and heads the cabinet. Also, under the system, the president is elected independently from the legislature and has an “independent power base” (Mahler, 2008, p.107). There is no overlap of personnel, and both branches are