Presidential Powers (1707 words) Essay Example For Students

Presidential Powers (1707 words) Essay Presidential PowersPresidential Powers The President as Chief of State In every government there is a ceremonial head of the government who is the symbol of all the people in the nation. As Howard Taft put it, The personal embodiment and representative of their dignity and majesty(McClenaghan, pg. 316). That person is the Chief of State or more commonly known as the President. One of the main factors that cause the presidents to be viewed as a symbol of the American community is the presidents ceremonial duties which are named in the Constitution. The Constitution states several ceremonial duties that the presidents are obliged to perform. They are required to take an oath of office, periodically inform Congress of the State of Union, negotiate with foreign powers, and receive Ambassadors and other Public Ministers. These Constitutional ceremonial duties supported the assumption of the Chief of State role by George Washington and his successors because they made the president appear as the leader of the entire nation(The Presidents A-Z, Pg. 68). Castro 2 Both, the Oath of Office ceremony, the Inauguration, and the State of Union address physically place the President out in front of other government officials. Also, the Presidents duty to receive Ambassadors shows that foreign governments view and regard the president as the official representative of the United States, and since the rest of the world sees our president as being the Chief of State, then the domestic responsibilities of the Chief of State could not be assumed more gracefully than anyone but the President (The Presidents A-Z, pg. 69). In the 18th century, when the Framers designed the U. S. presidents job, monarchy was the style of government throughout most of the world. But, since they wanted to avoid any suggestion of a monarchy, the Framers of the constitution made the Chief of State the Chief Executive as well. They called this person the President. But, like monarchs, the U.S. Presidents are the living symbol of the nation. They symbolize the countrys history, liberty and strength. The President can appoint ceremonial representatives, but while they are still in office they cannot escape their role as Chief of State. At every moment they represent the United States at home and overseas. Castro 3 When the President, or shall I say the Chief of state, is not occupied with functions that pertain to government he would attend and participate in such as lighting the national Christmas tree, deliver a patriotic address during the Fourth of July, lay a wreath on the graves of soldiers that died for their country (such as the Tomb of the Unknowns) on Memorial day, lead us special holidays (such as Thanksgiving, bless fund raising drives, and on numerous occasions in the past he would throw the first ball to open the baseball season in the Spring. Many of these functions mean something and are significant especially when the President is involved. But consequently, the duties of the Chief of State are seldom described as a power and are sometimes denounced as a waste of the Presidents time. (The Presidency, Pg. 69) Although the Presidents right to dedicate a monument or congratulate an astronaut may mean little, The symbolism that the action portrays clearly enhances presidential authority, legitimizes and maximizes other presidential powers, and secures his position as Chief of State. (The Presidency, Pg. 69) As political scientist Clinton Castro 4 Rossiter explained No president can fail to realize that all his powers are invigorated, indeed are given a new dimension of authority, because he is the symbol of our sovereignty, continuity, and grandeur. The presidency is therefore elevated above other offices and institutions not just by its legal authority, but also by its symbolic and historic mystique. (The Presidency, Pg.69) The position of the President as the Chief of State is defined by the Constitutional provisions which are the source of some of the most important power the President can use. The Acceptibility of Coconut Shell as an Art Paper EssayK. to the Military to fire, and they did. When it comes to the Judicial part of the government, the President still has the power to grant pardons, reprieves, and amnesties. Lately we have not seen the President grant any of those, but we have seen him follow Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution, which denies him the power to grant pardons, reprieves, and amnesties in Castro 8 cases of impeachment. (U.S. Constitution, we see this in effect in the case of the Bill Clinton ; Monica Lewinsky affair, in which the President is being charged with perjury and just cannot pardon himself. The third and most often seen provision is the President as a diplomat. We see this when the President hosts foreign leaders or when he travels to other countries. An example would be when he left to the Middle East to have peace talks with other foreign leaders. All in all, in todays society , the president is us. He derives his power from us, the American people, and he represents us in his daily endeavors and important activities. Although not everyone may agree with that, but still no one can deny that the President has been a long lasting symbol of America and the American people for over 200 years. Todays newspaper articles about the president and the powers that they posses are pretty self-explanatory as to what provisions in the Constitution they are referring to The articles about the President ordering the bombing, explains the Military role of the President as stated in the U.S. Constitution. Castro 9 The articles discussing the Presidents perjury charges (i. e. Monica Lewinsky case) refers to the Judicial Provision in the U.S. Constitution. Article II, Section 2, states that the President cannot grant pardons reprieves, and amnesties in cases of impeachment. Third, the articles that discuss peace treaties and peace talks refer to the diplomatic provision of the Constitution. Article II, Section3, talks about receiving Ambassadors and other public ministers. And the articles that discusses the President attending a space shuttle launch illustrates how he is involved in function that are not government related. Meaning that he supports his countrys endeavors although he does not have to Philosophy