The Powers of the president essay
To what extent can Congress and the Supreme Court limit the powers of the President?
The president is often referred to as the most powerful man in the world. This is mainly because his role combines both duties that the Queen and prime minister would carry out. However, presidential power is limited as the Founding Fathers intended it to be so. It is clear that Congress and the Supreme Court are the main causes of this. In contrast to the many powers it gives Congress, the Constitution grants few specific powers to the president
Firstly, the president is the main leader/head of the armed forces. He is the commander-in-chief, therefore the highest officer in USA. This power enables him to make final decisions in all military operations and is derived from article 4, which means that he protects all 50 states against military invasion. Added to those powers, the president is also responsible for the use of troops overseas and is responsible for internal security. However, the Supreme Court can over-rule any military decisions made by the President. An example of this happened in 2004 when the Supreme Court ruled that Guantanamo Bay detainees did have legal rights meaning a Military Commission had to be set up to deal with them. Another limit of his power is that only the congress has the power to declare a war and they control all the finance.
Furthermore, the president is also the Chief legislator where he is expected to suggest new laws or bills to the congress. A president usually outlines the administration's legislative agenda in the State of the Union address given to a joint session of Congress each January. This can be stopped by Congress as Senators can filibuster to delay the passing. This was done with Obama’s Health Bill in 2010. The president's veto power is an important check on Congress. If the president rejects a bill, it takes a two-thirds vote of both houses, which is difficult to achieve, to accomplish a veto override. However The congress overrode the veto in 2006-2008 where Bush had to sign the bill that the congress put out, as they gained 2/3 majority in both houses .The president can try to persuade the congress to approve the bill, just like Bush did in 2002 with the education bill.
Another role of the president is as the Chief executive. This is where he takes the care of the laws in order to be faithfully executed. This is the one power with no