Example Of Essay On American Presidency

Since the time the United States constitution was first enacted, the presidency has been established as being a unique, essential and potentially dangerous office. Presidency demands that the office holder strikes a thin balance between persuasive and commanding power in order to lead effectively; being firm but not oppressive to his citizenry. These are just paradoxes that are brought about by the public demands, as well as the presidential personality. The presidential personality is based on activity and passivity. Active presidents invest much of their energy into the office and its functions. The passive presidents, on the other hand, restrain or have controlled investment into the seat and its various roles.
The roles of the presidency are summarized into seven basic ones. As a chief of state, he is the symbol of unity with the sole aim of unifying the nation by rising above politics adopting a non-partisan approach to national issues but still expected to be a master politician to advance his party’s ideals. The President is the chief executive as he also executes legislation, appoints key national officers, grants reprieves, and pardons. The officeholder is also the commander chief of the United States armed forces where the public expects him to be gentle and yet strong when it comes to protecting American interests. He is also a chief diplomat acting as the top ambassador of the country on the international platform. The American president is further tasked with the role of signing or vetoing laws, introduction of bills, and also works with congress on the national budget. These roles have been amended over the years to either encroach or strengthened the president’s powers on a number of national issues.
The American president is currently powerful due to the developmental strides made in various areas such as war technology and globalization. For instance, the military power of the presidency has grown due to the emergence of nuclear weapons that he alone can allow to be deployed in warranted hostile scenarios. In this case, President Obama’s military power cannot be compared to George Washington’s. With globalization, America has made strides in all social, political and economic sphere making it an ultimate superpower. This translates to a President, who is also perceived as the strongest man on earth due to his ease when enforcing foreign policies that are inclined to America’s interest. All this can be redeemed using a proactive approach from other arms of the government. The legislature ought to approve some of his decisions touching on military power particularly nuclear weapons and foreign relations. The courts can also be used to interpret his actions when the public deems them overbearing as well as unconstitutional.