Executive Powers Vs Congress

The debate over the interpretation of Executive Powers brought forth in the constitution has been laden in controversy for years. Both the president and congress have their own interpretation of what Article II section 2 explicitly means in terms of presidential authority. What did the framers of the constitution hope to achieve by creating a vague language surrounding presidential power? In this essay, I will delve into the meaning of Executive Powers, as well as view how they have been used negatively or positively.

When you think of the president of the United States of America, more often you relate that title to the most powerful person in the world. Well, in recent years that would be more correct, however, the constitution was written

As Commander in Chief, stated in Article II section 2, the President has authority over the armed forces, but that’s not to say he has the ability to start a war on his own. However, in times of war the President and Congress often work well together. “Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and our entry into the Second World War, Congress and the President stood in agreement over the direction of American foreign and military policy. Congressional intervention all but ceased.” While this system seems to work well when all parties are in agreement, what happens when not in a time of war? What is the proper balance between Congress and the President in the formulation and implementation of foreign policy?” One answer to this is that the strengths of congressional policies do not lye with that of foreign legislation but that of the domestic. Congress is used to making changes in their legislation when referring to domestic affairs. If a policy is voted in that inevitably does not work I can then be removed or tweaked. However foreign policy legislation doesn’t necessarily work well if constantly being rewritten. “A foreign policy should be an aggregate strategy, made up of separate bilateral and multilateral relationships that fit into a grander scheme designed to promote the long-term national interests.” The job of the president is to represent the country in foreign affairs and must be able to implement expressed ideals when negotiating with other countries. The five hundred plus members of congress, with different ideas and agendas cannot form a foreign policy that coincides with our nation interests as a whole. Here in lies the power of the Presidential Executive