Has Presidential Power Become Too Strong?
Mariah Wolford 10/13/11
Clare 105
PRO- Has the president become too strong?
In today's world, our President needs to be strong and influential. Congress used to have the time to debate every issue. The President is the only one today who can act quickly on important issues. Our nation only has one President compared to the 435 representatives and 100 senators. The Constitution was written to divide all powers between the three branches of government. However, a system of checks and balances exists in order to make sure that no single branch of government becomes too powerful. Many feel the President has more power than the legislative and judicial branches. In recent years, many people think that the president has become too strong. Although expansion of the Constitution is necessary in some cases, I don't think it is ever appropriate for a president to overstep the boundaries as much as some of our presidents have. A common feeling is that the president has taken so much power from the other branches of government that this threatens our democratic system. I agree with this claim, and the following explains why.
One example of how the president's military has expanded throughout the years is the president's ability to potentially destroy cities on a whim. When George Washington was our president, he had the power to command a handful of cannons and was in charge of maybe a thousand soldiers. Now, if the president wanted to, he could use nuclear warheads and take out a major city if he deemed it necessary.
The power of the president is felt not only in the United States, but all over the world. Foreign officials now visit our country and the president has the ability to fly to any location in the world within 24 hours. Our first president, Washington, would have had to sail for weeks or even months if he were to attempt a voyage to a foreign nation.
The American people expect the president to deal with a huge number of problems. If there is economic
Clare 105
PRO- Has the president become too strong?
In today's world, our President needs to be strong and influential. Congress used to have the time to debate every issue. The President is the only one today who can act quickly on important issues. Our nation only has one President compared to the 435 representatives and 100 senators. The Constitution was written to divide all powers between the three branches of government. However, a system of checks and balances exists in order to make sure that no single branch of government becomes too powerful. Many feel the President has more power than the legislative and judicial branches. In recent years, many people think that the president has become too strong. Although expansion of the Constitution is necessary in some cases, I don't think it is ever appropriate for a president to overstep the boundaries as much as some of our presidents have. A common feeling is that the president has taken so much power from the other branches of government that this threatens our democratic system. I agree with this claim, and the following explains why.
One example of how the president's military has expanded throughout the years is the president's ability to potentially destroy cities on a whim. When George Washington was our president, he had the power to command a handful of cannons and was in charge of maybe a thousand soldiers. Now, if the president wanted to, he could use nuclear warheads and take out a major city if he deemed it necessary.
The power of the president is felt not only in the United States, but all over the world. Foreign officials now visit our country and the president has the ability to fly to any location in the world within 24 hours. Our first president, Washington, would have had to sail for weeks or even months if he were to attempt a voyage to a foreign nation.
The American people expect the president to deal with a huge number of problems. If there is economic