Chapter 12:
The Presidency
Synopsis
Although our Constitution is two hundred years old, we
still argue about many of the same things that the
authors of that document did. The powers of the
presidency still concern us. What powers belong to the
president? Although some are quite clear from the
Constitution, claims of inherent powers have led to many
controversies during our history. How past presidents
have expanded the powers of that office is key to
understanding the nature of the modern presidency.
The president is a popularly elected leader, and his
political skills are critical for putting together a
winning electoral coalition. The need to win favor with
the public does not end with the election. A president's
popularity affects his standing with Congress and his
overall ability to lead.
Candidates who successfully put together an electoral
coalition and win the presidency inevitably claim to have
received a mandate from the public. In recent years their
ability to carry out the perceived mandate is made more
difficult by divided control of government.
In exercising leadership, the president has the resources
of the executive branch to draw on. None of these is more
important than his personal staff. More broadly, he draws
upon the Executive Office of the President and his
cabinet. The task of presidential leadership is to
translate his political vision into a concrete agenda and
then to persuade the public and the Congress to support
the legislation that is derived from that agenda.
The president is a world leader, too, and his skills at
crisis management and diplomacy will affect the success
of his administration. The way a president handles crisis
and noncrisis decision making in the White House is often
influenced by his "presidential character."
Return
to Top ©1998 by
Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
|
Synopsis |
|
-
|
-
|
|
