Overview
I'm working on a political science discussion question and need support to help me learn.
The President of the United States is often called "the most powerful person in the world." Such an observation might have worried the Framers of the Constitution, but it is hard to deny the power and the centrality of the President to our politics. Some see this as a necessity, advocating for a Unitary executive theory of government, taking the extreme position that the President cannot have their power checked by the other branches when it comes to “executive matters.” It is a controversial stance, not least because significant amounts of the argument rely on what one means by “executive matters.”
Conversely, those who see and advocate for strong checks and balances warn of the imperial presidency. The more the President is granted and seizes power, the closer the country comes to being an empire rather than a republic. If the Congress is not the branch making policy and has no ability to check the power of the President, are we really democratic?
Another argument sees both of the previous arguments as overblown. Despite the significant gain in influence and power the presidency has seen over the past few decades, it remains incredibly difficult for the President to invoke any significant change in the system. Executive orders and agreements can be overturned by the next President. Every law still has to go through Congress. Bureaucrats can still exercise their own subtle influences on the system, often staying longer than whatever President is serving (though the Trump administration demonstrated that this is not as much of a protection as we thought).
This group pushes back against what they call the “Green Lantern Theory” of politics, that the President can simply wave their hand and get things done. Such a view can only lead to disappointment in a political system built through with roadblocks and checks. Others push back against this pushback, saying that while it is true that Presidents are not all powerful, we should not let them get away with doing nothing in places where they do have power.
For this discussion, answer the following questions:
- Why might the President be seen as such a powerful person?
- Is this perception justified, or is the President weaker than they appear?