three reasons for the growth of presidential power?

Answer 1

First and foremost,while the Founding Fathers attempted to create three branches of government with a balance of powers,the simple reality is that Congress ,being a collection of literally hundreds of partisans each with both party loyalty and personal loyalties ,too often DO NOT act in concert to protect the powers that the Constitution gives it and de facto by default,either the President or the Supreme Counrt takes said powers unto themselves.

A perfect example is the Constitutional requirement that only Congress can declare war .

Historically few wars expecially in modern times have seen Congress issue a declaration of war .They simply decided not to excercize this Constitutionally requirement and allow the President to in fact conduct war without such a declaration.

NEVER YET has anyone or any body started legal proceedings that would ultimately FORCE the matter to the Supreme Court where once and for all,the Court would decide definitively the issue.

If I was a billionaire I would fund such a challenge.

Secondly,AMERICAN DEMOCRACY is farther removed from the concept of a direct democracy than most other western democracies.For example,citizens do not elect the President.Further the most powerful body of Congress, i.e. the Senate is NOT democratic in the traditional sense for it does not PROPORTIONATELY ,represent the citizenry.

In fact in a number of profound ways,the President's powers is reminiscent of the powers of Kings of England of another era.

Thirdly,Americans appear to need a "Father Figure" .The role of President in the US is quite unlike leaders in other democracies in that the President is treated much more like royalty in the defference shown him/her than in say parliamentary democracies where the Prime Minister ,who is NOT the Head of State as the President is,is grilled constantly in parliament where he most appear .

When you have the dual roles of Head of State and political leader combined,you invite problems .

In the UK for example,the press / media etc can drag Blair through the political gutter without any second thought for he does not hold the position of Head of State which the Queen holds.



The US President never has to face the elected representatives every day in Congress and be vilified,questioned .

The President is allowed to stay above the fray of democratic politics.

Just compare news conferences of the President and those of Prime Ministers.The questioning of the President is almost always scripted and the questions are soft balls.

Prime Ministers on the other hand are ravaged by the press as any leader should.

All of this to say,that Americans are becoming less and less democratic as the world is percieved to be getting more and more dangerous which simply means citizens want the President to have increasing dictatorial powers and Congress is too bloody weak kneed to stand up for itself and most import, democracy .

Answer 2

Growth Of Presidential Power

Answer 3

Well, I am not sure I agree that the President's power has 'grown', perhaps it has just been used more lately.. but I would submit the following three reasons:
1. US Supreme Court and their take on Executive Power
2. The 'war-time' setting that we live in
3. The actions of the current Congress, that have required executive intervention - i.e. veto's

Answer 4

Executive orders that congress doesn't disagree with.

Executive orders that are written when congress isn't in session, with continuation clauses that are ignored by congress.

Executive orders that are written that congress chooses to ignore (by not saying yea or nay to), outright.



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Answer 5

What growth?

Answer 6

apathy of people, ignorance of people, lies by government.