How Important Is The President?

[MrPresident]

Speaking from a strictly constitutional point of view the President has very little actual power. Now some of you are immediately thinking that is wrong because he is commander-in-chief. However armies need to be paid and the House of Representatives controls the budget. The President cannot introduce legislation, a congressman/senator must do that for him, and he needs the support of both houses for that legislation to become law. International treaties need the approval of the Senate, as does Supreme Court appointments. The interest rate is controlled by the federal reserve. And finally he needs the Supreme Court to argue, or at least not disagree, with his interpretation of the constitution. So, how much power does the President actually have? And is it more important for a party to control the White House or Congress?

 

[Lord Draegon]

Absolutely none. We dont really need one

 

[Syterion]

Usually, if your party is in the White House, your party is in power in Congress.

But seriously, the Congress does have more power than the President, but the Supreme Court has less. You have to remember that President also has veto power over bills, and although it can be over turned, it requires a large majority(2/3).

 

[blindside]

Usually, if your party is in the White House, your party is in power in Congress.

I thought, following the 2002 elections, was one of the first times in a while where a party has controlled both the Congress and the White House.

 

[JohnRM]

Usually, if your party is in the White House, your party is in power in Congress.

Um, simply not true. Not true, at all.

 

[SeleucusNicator]

Usually, if your party is in the White House, your party is in power in Congress

Not at all. The current situation is the exception, not the rule.

 

[KaNick]

The White House is getting more and more power. You forgot the Supreme Court BTW.

 

[amadeus]

The Executive Branch has always had the most flexibility in terms of what it can do.

 

[SeleucusNicator]

Now some of you are immediately thinking that is wrong because he is commander-in-chief. However armies need to be paid and the House of Representatives controls the budget.

Once a war has begun, there has virtually never been an instance where the House of Representatives denied the war necessary funding.

Now, the tactic you imply has been used to prevent wars before they occured or to prevent a President from implementing his foreign policy, but it only works to prevent, not to stop what is already occuring.

 

[Cuivienen]

The White House is getting more and more power. You forgot the Supreme Court BTW.

The Supreme Court has little power compared to the other two -- the President and the Congress make laws, the Supreme Court just enforces them. (Using the word "enforces" loosely, of course.)

Anyway, I said the White House, mainly because the President, and not the 100 Senators and 400-odd Congressmen, is the one who the American people and, really, the entire world, sees. The President says "we will do this," and, today, the Congress really only decides whether they agree with the President or not. It rarely makes decisions on its own. If the Congress was, say, half its size, and thus less bureaucratic, then it would have much more influence.

 

[Duddha]

With the coming of the Imperial Presidancies in the second half of the 20th cent, I would say the White House is most important, but it really matters what objectives your party has in mind.

 

[Gogf]

The supreme court. They can declare a law or action unconstitutional, and make other very important legal discisions.

 

[Gogf]

Usually, if your party is in the White House, your party is in power in Congress.

That's actually wrong. That's usually not true.

 

[Sanaz]

The difference is, a party can control 100% of the White House, but not 100% (or rarely even 60%) of the Senate, House, or Supreme Court. So, the White House is most important.

 

[Shadylookin]

I think congress is a necessary, but it never hurt to have the presidency as well.

 

[microbe]

Of course the President, no doubt.

In certain cases you may find that Congress has power over President, but it is more acting passively. The country is still led by the President, not the Congress.

 

[SeleucusNicator]

The difference is, a party can control 100% of the White House, but not 100% (or rarely even 60%) of the Senate, House, or Supreme Court. So, the White House is most important.

A party controlling 51% of the House has close to 100% of the power due to the way it is organized.

 

[Sanaz]

A party controlling 51% of the House has close to 100% of the power due to the way it is organized.

True on some issues, not on all. Some issues are split along party lines, and some can go either way. But the President can Veto all by himself.

Not to mention those fancy pardons he gives out like Halloween candy to his criminal friends when leaving office.

 

[MrPresident]

The White House is getting more and more power. You forgot the Supreme Court BTW.

I didn't forget the Supreme Court. I left it out because Supreme Court justices are not members of political parties.

Originally posted by Syterion
You have to remember that President also has veto power over bills, and although it can be over turned, it requires a large majority

Having the veto and using the veto are two entirely different things.

 

[cgannon64]

I'd say Congress, but really our checks and balances work out quite well that one is not really that important, you need to control at least two to get things done. But out of all of them Congress probably has the most power.