What can an American President actually do?
By John Welford
@indexer (4852)
Leicester, England
September 17, 2015 10:03am CST
No doubt the media will be full of the US Presidential election from now until it actually happens, with the impression being given that it is vitally important to get the right person in the White House.
However, the US Constitution seems to set so many barriers to executive power that there would appear to be not all that much that an American president can actually do once he or she is in office. This is especially true when Congress is politically opposed to the President, but even when it is not the powers seem to be quite limited.
So what is the point of Presidential candidates making numerous promises that they will probably never be able to put into practice? Isn't it all one huge - and very expensive - charade designed mainly to give the media plenty to do?
3 people like this
3 responses
@Ceerios (4698)
• Goodfellow, Texas
17 Sep 15
Brother John - I only wish that your idea of the US President having little executive power were a fact. I learned about such matters when I was a wee little kid - maybe 70 or so years ago. That was when the history teacher told us about how President Teddy Roosevelt handled the Congress.
Teddy had grand ideas aplenty. He wanted to impress the nations of the world about how "strong" but also how "good" was the US. So he sent a bunch of US Navy ships on a grand world tour. and that was his "Great White Fleet sent around the world..." Congress objected to the big show, but Teddy sent the gobs on their way, no matter. After all, HE was the commander-in-chief of the armed forces (per the US Constitution, right?) Then, Congress said to him, "We are in control of what gets paid around here, and we are not going to pay the costs of your "Great White Fleet showoff stuff."
Teddy talked to Congress, "Well, lads, the Great White Fleet is on the other side of the world at this moment. If you want it back, pay up."
Now you know how things really work 'twixt the US President and the US Congress.
Gus 
1 person likes this
@indexer (4852)
• Leicester, England
17 Sep 15
Well, that was apparently how it was then, but could a President get away with that now? The problem with the US system seems to be that the last thing it wants is a dictator - I've got no problem with that - but the people want to elect someone who promises what HE will do - not what he working together with Congress will do, but what fresh ideas HE brings to the table and which HE will translate into action. (please understand that HE above can also be read as SHE!)
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Sep 15
Presidents can influence, they can veto, they can pass executive orders which bypass Congress altogether. This congress is irate at the number of executive orders that Obama has issued, but when you have an obstructionist Congress, what else can you do? And Bush issued more executive orders than Obama, actually.
1 person likes this
@rusty2rusty (6771)
• Defiance, Ohio
17 Sep 15
There was limits placed after a president was shot. I think Obama has has been the first president to over step and gain more control as president.
@rusty2rusty (6771)
• Defiance, Ohio
22 Sep 15
@Susan2015 I agree. The more the American people allow it. The more it will hurt us in the long run.
