The American President Movie Essay

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The movie, The American President, depicts several reliable roles that the president performs, as well as, some of the aspects of our political system. It is a romantic comedy that takes place in the White House, during primary season. The president, Andrew Shepperd, is a widower, with a daughter, who is hoping to be reelected and pass two bills. One related to gun control and the other on fuel restrictions. While watching the movie, I noticed several key roles that the president played; all of which gave him the qualities of a realistic president. In the movie, he works to get a crime bill passed, demonstrating his legislature leadership, while showing the viewer the process of introducing a bill to Congress. He also gives the order for a …show more content…

Throughout the movie, President Shepperd is continuously struggling to keep high approval ratings, during primary season. When he and Sydney begin falling in love, the opposing party, Senator Bob Runsom, denounces the president and Sydney during interviews and press conferences, causing the media to go crazy. Public announcements are made, saying that Sydney once participated in a protest, in which an American Flag was burned. This along with the fact that she is a lobbyist for a special interest group, causes the American citizens to change their opinion of the president, based on the company he keeps in his personal life. The effect is the president’s popularity decreasing, affecting his political influence; taking a major hit in the polls. The media is a major source of information for voters. Voters depend on the media to make their decision on who to support and vote for. As much trouble as the media causes, they play a major role in our political system. The American President accurately depicts the political process. In the movie, we can compare the roles of the president to those of our president today. We were able to see the relationship between the executive branch and the legislative branch, as well as how the president interacts with interest groups and his White House