Undoubtedly, The President is the furthermost known person in a country due to the position he occupies and many times his actual power has been questioned. Two distinct perspectives arose to describe the president’s power as persuasion and unilateral power.
First, the persuasive perspective from Richard Neustadt illustrates presidents’ power as persuasive. It highlights what Neustadt believes that is a misconception among the general public who believe that the president is a supreme authority that governs the country, as he prefers from his oval office. President’s power is seen as persuasive because it involves bargaining that stems from their position, status, and prestige (Howell). Because the president’s power is more in a persuasive scale, he has scarce sources to reach the large expectations of the public. The President takes his ideas for new policies and expectations to the office but to achieve it, he must work together with the Congress (Neustadt 30).
Second, the unilateral perspective from William G. Howell comprehends presidential power as a power beyond persuasion and negotiation with the Congress. For this perspective, presidents have direct power on government and public policy. Therefore, presidents’ have the power to prevent other branches to refuse his decisions.
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Applying each perspective in a situation mainly depends on the president’s core interest in taking action and what he intends to be the most effective approach. There will certainly be moments where the president will use a more persuasive approach to make his points and other occasions such as the Bush commandment to bomb Afghanistan in which presidents will have to take a more prompt action. Therefore, more than having a correct perspective to use in general, both perspectives work together to find which one is the most appropriated in singular