The framers of the U.S. Constitution were greatly concerned about the fact that the president could amass undue power. Over the years, however, presidential power grew much further. This paper attempts to explain the reasons for this expansion as they are expressed in historical contexts, legal precedents, and political developments. To that effect, identify arguments so applied that the evolving nature of presidential authority can be understood.
It is for this reason that the framers of the Constitution set up the checks and balances system to prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful. Actually, they were largely afraid of executive power because of their experience with tyranny under the rule of a monarchy by the British. As a …show more content…
Nonetheless, there have been several factors that have contributed to the tremendous growth of presidential power throughout the years. One of the reasons that presidential power has emerged is because of the increasing complexity of government and society. As the United States grew and became industrialized, so did the responsibilities of the federal government, which rightly required much stronger executive leadership. For example, in the times of the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced the New Deal—a system of programs and reforms aiming to fight the impact of the economic crisis. That was a period when presidential power grew to an outstanding level as Roosevelt took tough measures to lead his country out of crisis (Leuchtenburg, 2015).
Another catalyst for the expansion of presidential power has been the growth of the United States as a fully-fledged global power. Increasingly, the role of the president as commander-in-chief grew with his
It is for this reason that the framers of the Constitution set up the checks and balances system to prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful. Actually, they were largely afraid of executive power because of their experience with tyranny under the rule of a monarchy by the British. As a …show more content…
Nonetheless, there have been several factors that have contributed to the tremendous growth of presidential power throughout the years. One of the reasons that presidential power has emerged is because of the increasing complexity of government and society. As the United States grew and became industrialized, so did the responsibilities of the federal government, which rightly required much stronger executive leadership. For example, in the times of the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced the New Deal—a system of programs and reforms aiming to fight the impact of the economic crisis. That was a period when presidential power grew to an outstanding level as Roosevelt took tough measures to lead his country out of crisis (Leuchtenburg, 2015).
Another catalyst for the expansion of presidential power has been the growth of the United States as a fully-fledged global power. Increasingly, the role of the president as commander-in-chief grew with his