The Presidency

The Presidency

- The powers of the presidency are described very briefly in Article II of the Constitution. Specific powers include:

- Chief Administrator

- Commander-in-Chief

- Chief Lawmaker

- Chief Diplomat

- Chief of State

- In addition to those enumerated powers, presidents have claimed they have certain inherent powers to do whatever has to be done to fulfill their responsibilities as leaders.

- George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln all expanded on their enumerated powers, setting a precedent for later presidents to do likewise.

- Because the U.S. has become such a powerful nation, presidents have become more powerful people. They are now considered world leaders as well as national leaders.

- They have also become party leaders,have to be strong communicators in the age of mass media, and serve as lobbyists for their legislative goals.

- One explanation for expansion of presidential powers is that sometimes Congress lets a president take responsibility for unpopular actions, such as going to war.

- America's strongest, most powerful presidents have emerged during periods of crisis, such as a war or depression. Lincoln and FDR are examples.

- Popular presidents are also likely to become more powerful, because citizens trust them with power.

- President Lyndon Johnson was a strong president because he believed that government should play a strong role in alleviated the nation's problems.

- President Reagan, on the other hand, advocated a smaller role for government so didn't encourage national government involvement in problem solving. He was, however, known as a great communicator.

- A successful candidate for the presidency must put together a winning coalition of supporters and must win 270 electoral college votes, which means winning the popular vote especially in large, highly populated states with large electoral college votes.

- Although American presidents have huge responsibilities, they also have